Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40874348›Full record

Trial reportJournal of rehabilitation medicine2025

Soft robotic gloves versus mirror therapy: a long-term comparative study on hand function and motor recovery in post-stroke rehabilitation.

Osama R Abdelraouf, Mohamed A Abdel Ghafar, Mariam E Mohamed, Zizi M Ibrahim, Eman M Harraz, Mohamed K Seyam, Gihan Samir Mousa, Rafik E Radwan, Amira E El-Bagalaty

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of rehabilitation medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Osama R AbdelraoufPhysical Therapy Program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0001-6888-5480
Mohamed A Abdel GhafarPhysical Therapy Program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. pt12.jed@bmc.edu.sa.
Mariam E MohamedPhysical Therapy Program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Department of Physical Therapy for Cardiovascular/ Respiratory Disorder and Geriatrics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0002-2169-9864
Zizi M IbrahimDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0001-6309-3484
Eman M HarrazDepartment of Physical Medicine, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0001-9053-5487
Mohamed K SeyamDepartment of Physical Therapy and Health Rehabilitation, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Majmaah, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0003-2903-9198
Gihan Samir MousaDepartment of Physical Therapy for Cardiovascular/ Respiratory Disorder and Geriatrics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt; Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0001-8469-9207
Rafik E RadwanDepartment of Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0001-5405-853X
Amira E El-BagalatyDepartment of Physical Therapy for Pediatric, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0003-0781-5037

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study aimed to compare the long-term effects of soft robotic gloves (SRGs) and mirror therapy on hand function and motor recovery in post-stroke patients.

methodsA single-blinded, randomized controlled comparative study was conducted on 49 patients with chronic stroke assigned randomly to either the SRGs or mirror therapy group. Both groups underwent an 8-week intervention alongside conventional rehabilitation. The Box and Block Test (BBT), hand grip strength, and Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up.

resultsPost-intervention, the SRGs group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in all outcome measures compared with the mirror therapy group (p = 0.004, 0.011, and 0.021, respectively). These improvements were sustained at follow-up (p < 0.001, < 0.001, and 0.003, respectively). Within-group comparisons showed significant post-intervention improvements in both groups; however, the mirror therapy group exhibited no significant changes between post-intervention and follow-up (p = 0.197, 0.125, and 0.317, respectively), whereas the SRGs group maintained significant gains (p = 0.003, 0.012, and 0.005, respectively).

conclusionFindings suggest that SRGs provide superior improvements in hand function and motor recovery compared with mirror therapy in post-stroke rehabilitation. The long-term benefits highlight the potential of SRGs as an effective intervention for promoting functional independence in stroke survivors.

Indexed as

HandRoboticsStroke RehabilitationAdultAgedFemaleHand StrengthHumansMaleMiddle AgedRecovery of FunctionSingle-Blind MethodStrokeTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID40874348
PMCPMC12406746

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.