Introduction: Every year stroke affects a large amount of people by beeing the third most common cause of mortality and one of the leading causes of physical and cognitive imparement. It significantly changes the quality of life for an individual and his family. Its consequences hinders different aspects of daily living, such as: self-care, work and leisure. Acute rehabilitation with a team of experts is the key to prevent further complications of person's condition. Mirror therapy is known as relatively new and non-invasive method of rehabilitation where patient observes mirror reflection while moving his unaffected upper extremity. Purpose: The purpose of the work was to review the literature of the affectiveness of mirror therapy on upper extremity in stroke patients. Methods: A systematic review of the literature, published between 2009 and 2019 was conducted. The analysis included English and Slovenian articles with key words: mirror therapy, effectiveness of therapy, stroke patients, upper extremity function, occupational therapy. Literature was searched in online databases Dikul, Sciencedirect, Cochrane library and Google Scholar. Based on the GRADE method we reviewed 14 articles regarding to mirror therapy. Results: Mirror therapy significantlly improved upper limb efficacy with beneficial effects on motor planning, movement performance, coordination and manipulation with objects. More than movement of proximal parts, there was significantly improved movement of distal parts, such as wrist extensors, radial and ulnar deviators and finger flexors and extensors. Mirror therapy increased impared level of sensation of the palms and fingers. Furthermore, improvement of muscle strength in upper limb was found in few studies. There was observed increased use and quality of performance of more affected upper extremity in daily activities. Discussion and Conclusion: The most effective mirror therapy method would be performing repetative, task-oriented movements, referring to daily activities along with standard rehabilitation program. Mirror therapy also affects the elimination of apraxia, personal and extrapersonal neglect and depression. Aplication of mirror therapy was found to be most effective within 3–12 months after stroke. Occupational therapy using creative and individual tasks for patients allows them to be concentrated and motivated during therapy.
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