The goal of this case-control study is to assess the impact of a novel method which adapts shaping activities into mirror therapy to improve dexterity, reaction time, and motor learning of the non-dominant hand in healthy individuals. The main question it aims to answer is: Does the use of Shaping Method as a protocol in Mirror Therapy will have an enhancing effect on upper extremity motor skills, motor learning and reaction time in healthy individuals. The objective of this study is to compare the intervention group, which will undergo shaping method activities in accordance with the protocol set out in Mirror Therapy, with the control group. This will enable an assessment of the impact of this approach on dexterity, reaction time and motor learning of the non-dominant hand in healthy individuals. Participants in intervention group will: * Use the Shaping Method activities with mirror therapy for 4 weeks. * Come to the exercise lab 2 times a week for 4 weeks. * Participate in assessment tests at the beginning and end of the intervention period. Participants in control group will: * Take assessment tests twice, four weeks apart. * Maintain their daily routine for the duration of their participation in the study.
In our study, 30 healthy adults were included in the intervention group and the same number of age- and gender-matched healthy adults were included in the control group. The intervention group received 20-minute sessions, 2 days a week for 4 weeks. During the sessions, participants were seated with the non-dominant hand behind the mirror device and the dominant hand in front. The participants were instructed to perform the following exercises with their dominant hand for 10 repetitions in accordance with the Shaping Method: Clothespin attachment activity, Ring threading on rod, Connecting the dots, Putting pencils in the glass, Velcro board activity, Dipping fork in play dough activity, Placing the cubes in the box activity, Ball insertion into perforated plastic plate, The activity of touching colored paper placed between white papers, Geometric jigsaw activity. Participants were assessed with outcome measures before and at the end of the 4-week intervention period. Participants in the control group received no intervention and were asked to continue their daily routines for 4 weeks. These participants were also assessed with outcome measures twice at 4-week intervals. The SPSS 27.0 package program was used for statistical analysis. The normality of the distribution of quantitative variables was evaluated using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The demographic and clinical data were summarized as the mean ± standard deviation (SD) for the continuous variables and the number and percentage for the categorical variables. The initial measurements of the groups were compared using an independent samples t-test. A paired t-test was used to investigate intragroup differences between the pre- and post-tests. A one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to determine the differences between the intervention and control groups, with baseline measurements serving as covariates. The differences between the groups were calculated based on the post-intervention assessment and the change from the pre-intervention values. The statistical significance was set to p\< 0.05, and the effect sizes were interpreted as follows: ≤ 0.2, small; around 0.5, medium; ≥ 0.8, large.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
60
This intervention involves the application of exercises consisting of shaping method activities accompanied by a mirror device. It is basically an intervention consisting of exercises that require manual dexterity.
Marmara University
Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
Roeder Manipulative Aptitude Test
The Roeder Manipulative Aptitude Test, which involves the insertion of a rod, cap, washer, and nut-common field tools-into a perforated board, was employed to assess motor skills. The test is comprised of two phases, with a five-minute rest period between them. In the initial phase, which lasts three minutes, the subject is required to insert a rod and then a cap into the perforated sections with their non-dominant hand. The total number of rods and caps placed by the participant during this phase of the test is recorded as the unilateral score of the test. In the second stage of the test, which lasts 40 seconds, the participant places the nut and then the washer on the T-bar using both hands. At this juncture, the number of nuts and washers placed on the right and left sides is totaled and recorded as the bilateral score of the test. The sum of the unilateral and bilateral scores represents the total score of the test.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks
Nelson Hand Reaction Time Test
This Test was employed to assess the participants' reaction time. During the test, the participant was seated in a chair and extended the non-dominant hand, with the thumb positioned opposite the other fingers, 8-10 cm away from the table. The initial point of a 50-centimeter-long ruler was held between the participant's thumb and index fingers, and the participant was instructed to fixate the center of the ruler. The researcher grasped the upper portion of the ruler and instructed the participant to "Ready!" before releasing the ruler. The participant was instructed to close their fingers as soon as possible in an attempt to catch the falling ruler. The test was repeated five times, with the two lowest scores being excluded. The arithmetic mean of the remaining three scores was then calculated.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks
Finger Tapping Test
The Finger Tapping Test was employed to assess motor learning. The test was created on the Psytoolkit online platform (https://www.psytoolkit.org). For the test, participants were seated in front of a laptop screen and instructed to place four fingers of their non-dominant hand (the fifth finger on the "1," the second finger on the "4") on the "1," "2," "3," and "4" keys on the keyboard. The subject was required to perform a series of keystrokes (4-1-3-2-4) that appeared on the screen for 10 seconds, as quickly and accurately as possible. The test was administered in 9 repetitions, with a 10-second rest interval between each repetition. The total number of sequences that the participant correctly keyed in 9 trials was recorded as the test score.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks
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