Authors: Adela-Raluca Nistor 1, Ioan Onac 1,2, Lăcrămioara Perju-Dumbravă 2, Ileana Monica Borda 1,2, Viorela Ciortea 1,2, Laszlo Irsay 1,2, Nicoleta Tohănean 2, Istvan Ver 2, Rodica Ungur 1,2
Affiliation: 1 “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2 Clinical Rehabilitation Hospital Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Abstract
Neurological rehabilitation is a continuously developing area, involving patients with a degree of disability secondary to a nervous system disorder. Recently, a neurological rehabilitation technique has been innovated, mirror therapy, designed to influence neuroplasticity using an optical illusion.
This study aims to illustrate the positive effect of this therapy in neurological patients, adults and children, and to promote this modern therapeutic concept.
Using neurological rehabilitation, mirror neurons, mirror therapy as key words, the PubMed database was searched for studies monitoring the effects of this therapy in neurological patients.
The analyzed studies demonstrated the role of mirror therapy in improving phantom limb pain, in reducing bradykinesia in Parkinson’s disease, as well as in accelerating motor recovery in stroke survivors. Hypotheses regarding the implication of mirror neurons in autism were also launched.
In conclusion, the mirror neuron network, the cellular substrate of this therapy, has an impressive potential to provide solutions for neurological rehabilitation.
Keywords: neurological rehabilitation, mirror neurons, mirror therapy.
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