Introduction: Stroke is a disease that causes lasting effects on motor and cognitive abilities and presents one of the major risks for disability. Despite of the consequences that a stroke leaves to the brain, it has the ability to recover. The Graded Motor Imagery is one of the methods used to improve upper limb function after a stroke by imaging movements without actual motor output, leading to the activation of similar areas in the brain's cortex as in executed movements. Graded Motor Imagery is based on strategies of implicit and explicit motor imagery together with Mirror therapy, harnessing the brain's neuroplasticity and enabling a gradual restoration of motor functions after a stroke. Purpose: To identify the practical value and effectiveness of Graded Motor Imagery in the rehabilitation process of stroke survivors. Methods: A literature review was conducted, during which the search was performed in the bibliographic databases PubMed, Web of Science, OT Seeker, and SAGE Journals. Additional literature was obtained through manual search. Results: The analysis od six studies published between 2015 and 2022 are included in the analysis. A total of 339 individuals participated. Variations were observed among the studies in the intervention period and the duration of the Graded Motor Imagery method, which was implemented as a individual intervention in two studies and in combination with conventional therapy or Tuina massage in the remaining four. It proved to be more effective in the subacute phase of stroke and as a supplementary intervention. Discussion and conclusion: The use of Graded Motor Imagery and its stages varies in the rehabilitation process post-stroke. To better comprehend and confirm its effectiveness, there is a need for additional research with a more consistent application of the method across diverse age groups and levels of motor impairment at different stages of stroke.
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