The Impact of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy on Motor Recovery in Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction Having Cardiomegaly in an Intensive Care Unit

Cureus. 2024 Feb 17;16(2):e54384. doi: 10.7759/cureus.54384. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Stroke can be characterized by rapidly emerging neurological manifestations of global or focal impairment of neurological functionality, with consequences lasting a day or more or giving rise to mortality, with no significant etiology other than vascular origin. A middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarct is a form of stroke that develops when the MCA, one of the primary arteries providing blood to the brain, becomes blocked or obstructed. Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is an emerging method that has mainly been utilized to rehabilitate stroke patients, especially upper extremities. According to recent advances, CIMT can also be applied to the lower limbs to increase insufficient limb balance, thereby facilitating gait. This case report is based on a 65-year-old female who had weakness in the left side of the body and slurring of speech and was diagnosed with an MCA infarct. She was managed with CIMT in the ICU along with conventional physiotherapy. The outcomes showed that CIMT is a beneficial approach for patients with stroke.

Keywords: constraint induced movement therapy; gait; intensive care unit; middle cerebral artery infarct; stroke.

Publication types

  • Case Reports