Abstract
Bellelli G, Buccino G, Bernardini B, Padovani A, Trabucchi M. Action observation treatment
improves recovery of postsurgical orthopedic patients: evidence for a top-down effect?
Objective
To assess whether action observation treatment (AOT) may also improve motor recovery
in postsurgical orthopedic patients, in addition to conventional physiotherapy.
Design
Randomized controlled trial.
Setting
Department of rehabilitation.
Participants
Patients (N=60) admitted to our department postorthopedic surgery were randomly assigned
to either a case (n=30) or control (n=30) group. Exclusion criteria were age 18 years
or younger and 90 years or older, Mini-Mental State Examination score of 21 of 30
or lower, no ambulating order, advanced vision impairment, malignancy, pneumonia,
or heart failure.
Interventions
All participants underwent conventional physiotherapy. In addition, patients in the
case group were asked to observe video clips showing daily actions and to imitate
them afterward. Patients in the control group were asked to observe video clips with
no motor content and to execute the same actions as patients in the case group afterward.
Participants were scored on functional scales at baseline and after treatment by a
physician blinded to group assignment.
Main Outcomes Measures
Changes in FIM and Tinetti scale scores, and dependence on walking aids.
Results
At baseline, groups did not differ in clinical and functional scale scores. After
treatment, patients in the case group scored better than patients in the control group
(FIM total score, P=.02; FIM motor subscore, P=.001; Tinetti scale score, P=.04); patients in the case group were assigned more frequently to 1 crutch (P=.01).
Conclusions
In addition to conventional physiotherapy, AOT is effective in the rehabilitation
of postsurgical orthopedic patients. The present results strongly support top-down
effects of this treatment in motor recovery, even in nonneurologic patients.
Key Words
List of Abbreviations:
AOT (action observation treatment), t0 (on admission to the department), t1 (1 week after admission), t2 (2 weeks after admission), t3 (3 weeks after admission)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Footnotes
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.
Reprints are not available from the author.
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Copyright
© 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
