Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation-Delivered LSVT-BIG on Motor Function in Chronic Stroke Patients: A Single-Subject...

This study is aimed at determining the effects of telerehabilitation-delivered LSVT-BIG on physical function, occupational performance, and activities of daily living in patients with stroke.

The participants included three patients who had been diagnosed with stroke for > 6 months. This study used the ABA single-subject study design. The study process was conducted for a total of 24 sessions over 6 weeks, including four sessions of baseline (A), 16 sessions of intervention using ZOOM (B), and four sessions of re-baseline (A ^'). During the intervention period (B), the intervention was conducted four times a week for 4 weeks for 60 min each time, according to the standardized LSVT-BIG protocol. Repeated measures assessments included the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and the Box and Block Test (BBT) at each session. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), modified Barthel index (MBI), and Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) were used to assess changes before and after the intervention. Descriptive statistics and visual analyses were used for data analysis.

After the telerehabilitation-delivered LSVT-BIG intervention, all participants showed improvement in physical function. The TUG performance time decreased in each session, and the gait and balance improved. Both the BBT and FMA-affected side scores of both upper limbs increased compared with those before the intervention, indicating improvement in upper limb function. In terms of occupational performance and activities of daily living, the COPM performance and satisfaction scores and the MBI scores both increased after the intervention.

The positive clinical applicability of telerehabilitation-delivered LSVT-BIG intervention for patients with stroke was confirmed. In the future, follow-up studies on LSVT-BIG intervention that expand the benefits of telerehabilitation are needed.