Effect of Home-Based Action Observation Therapy in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Single-blind Clinical Trial

Document Type : Original article

Authors

Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

10.32598/SJRM.14.5.3358

Abstract

Background and Aims Multiple sclerosis (MS) with upper limb involvement is frequently referred to rehabilitation and occupational therapy, causing impairment in manual dexterity. Action observation therapy (AOT) is a treatment based on the activation of mirror neurons; however, its effectiveness and type of implementation in these individuals have not yet been adequately studied. This study aimed to investigate the effects of home-based AOT on dexterity and functional independence.
Methods In this pilot single-blind clinical trial, 18 patients with MS diagnosed by a neurologist from Damghan and Shahroud were recruited using convenience sampling. They were allocated into three groups in order of entry into the study: Action observation in clinic (n=6), home-based action observation (n=6), and control (n=6). In all three groups, conventional occupational therapy interventions were performed for 30 minutes, and action observation exercises were performed for 20 minutes, in the action observation group at the end of the treatment session by the therapist in the clinic environment, and in the home-based action observation group the next day, with or without the help of caregivers in the home environment. Dexterity was measured using the Purdue Pegboard and Box and Block tests, and functional independence was measured using the Functional Independence Measure questionnaire, before and after 4 weeks (10 sessions) of the treatment process and at follow-up after one month of the treatment process. Descriptive statistics for demographic information were used, and a two-way mixed repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze dexterity and functional independence.
Results The two groups of action observation, unlike the control group, showed significant improvement in dexterity and functional independence at the end of ten intervention sessions compared to before the intervention (P<0.05), and these scores were maintained at the follow-up stage one month after the intervention sessions (P>0.05). However, in the between-group comparison, no significant difference was observed between the groups of action observation and home-based action observation (P>0.05).
Conclusion The results of this study showed that providing AOT alongside conventional occupational therapy, whether in the clinic or at home, has a dual therapeutic effect on the dexterity and functional independence of patients with MS, which was maintained during follow-up. Therefore, home-based AOT appears to be a useful complementary treatment for improving dexterity and functional independence in patients with MS.

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The Scientific Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
Volume 14, Issue 5
November and December 2025
Pages 748-761

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History

  • Receive Date: 23 April 2025
  • Revise Date: 10 July 2025
  • Accept Date: 06 August 2025
  • First Publish Date: 06 August 2025

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