Effectiveness of Unilateral Versus Bilateral Training for Hemiparesis in Acute Stroke Patients
Ritika Srivastava1, Riti Mohanty2, Akhyova Sahoo3, Priyanka Kar2 and Birupakshya Mahakul4
1Clinical Physiotherapist (Neuro), Apollo clinic, Kolkata, India
2Associate Professor, Hi-Tech College of Physiotherapy, Bhubaneswar, India
3Associate Professor, KIMS School of Physiotherapy, KIIT-DU, India
4Principal, KIMS School of Physiotherapy, KIIT-DU, India
*Corresponding Author: Riti Mohanty, Associate Professor, Hi-Tech College of Physiotherapy, Bhubaneswar, India.
Received:
October 21, 2025; Published: November 14, 2025
Abstract
The goal of the research was to compare the responsibility of unilateral training and bilateral training in enhancing the recovery of the motor functioning of the upper limb in the patient with hemiparesis who suffered an acute stroke. A quasi-experimental principal study using pre and post intervention evaluation was conducted in a sample of 62 patients taking acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. The participants were randomly found to be in either a unilateral or bilateral training group where they were trained in 1 hour 45 minutes and 5 days a week with a 4-week training. The Motor Assessment Scale (MAS), Motor Status Scale (MSS), manual shoulder and wrist strength measurements were used to measure motor function. The statistical analysis, t-tests, and multiple regression results revealed that the bilateral training group had a significant improvement of range of motion, coordination, and strength post-intervention (p < 0.05). The regression identified that Effectiveness of Bilateral Training (B = 0.42, p < 0.001) and Patient Perception and Acceptance (B = 0.29, p = 0.001) were significant predictors of recovery of stroke patients whereas the Preference of Unilateral Training (B = -0.31, p = 0.001) was found to exhibit negative relationship with the outcomes. The data evidence that the bilateral training in functional plasticity, interlimb coordination and neuroplasticity is more successful in causing functionality than the one sided methods. The research recommends bilateral plus task specific exercises as a fundamental rehabilitation measure in hemiparesis secondary to stroke.
Keywords: Stroke Rehabilitation; Bilateral Training; Unilateral Training; Hemiparesis; Motor Recovery
References
- Teasell RW., et al. “An evidence-based review of stroke rehabilitation”. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation 10 (2003): 29-58.
- McCombe Waller S and Whitall J. “Bilateral arm training: Why and who benefits?” NeuroRehabilitation 23 (2008): 29-41.
- Taub E., et al. “The learned nonuse phenomenon: Implications for rehabilitation”. Eura Medicophys 42 (2006): 241-256.
- Wolf SL., et al. “Effect of constraint-induced movement therapy on upper extremity function 3 to 9 months after stroke: The EXCITE randomized clinical trial”. Jama 296 (2006): 2095-2104.
- Cauraugh JH and Kim S. “Two coupled motor recovery protocols are better than one: Electromyogram-triggered neuromuscular stimulation and bilateral movements”. Stroke 33 (2002): 1589-1594.
- Mudie MH and Matyas TA. “Can simultaneous bilateral movement involve the undamaged hemisphere in reconstruction of neural networks damaged by stroke?” Disability and Rehabilitation 22 (2000): 23-
- Stinear JW and Byblow WD. “Rhythmic bilateral movement training modulates corticomotor excitability and enhances upper limb motricity poststroke: A pilot study”. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology 21 (2004): 124-131.
- Whitall J., et al. “Repetitive bilateral arm training with rhythmic auditory cueing improves motor function in chronic hemiparetic stroke”. Stroke 31 (2000): 2390-2395.
- Whitall J., et al. “Bilateral and unilateral arm training improve motor function through differing neuroplastic mechanisms: A single-blinded randomized controlled trial”. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 25 (2011): 118-129.
- Mudie MH and Matyas TA. “Upper extremity retraining following stroke: Effects of bilateral practice”. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 10 (1996): 167-184.
- Lin KC., et al. “Effects of constraint-induced therapy versus bilateral arm training on motor performance, daily functions, and quality of life in stroke survivors”. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 23 (2009): 441-448.
- Lin KC., et al. “The effects of bilateral arm training on motor control and functional performance in chronic stroke: A randomized controlled study”. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 24 (2010): 42-51.
- Summers JJ., et al. “Bilateral and unilateral movement training on upper limb function in chronic stroke patients: A TMS study”. Journal of Neurology Science 252 (2007): 76-82.
- Lewis GN and Byblow WD. “Neurophysiological and behavioural adaptations to a bilateral training intervention in individuals following stroke”. Clinical Rehabilitation 18 (2004): 48-59.
- Tijs E and Matyas TA. “Bilateral training does not facilitate performance of copying tasks in poststroke hemiplegia”. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 20 (2006): 473-483.
- Desrosiers J., et al. “Effectiveness of unilateral and symmetrical bilateral task training for arm during the subacute phase after stroke: A randomized controlled trial”. 19 (2005): 581-593.
- Morris JH., et al. “A comparison of bilateral and unilateral upper-limb task training in early poststroke rehabilitation: A randomized controlled trial”. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 89 (2008): 1237-1245.
- Platz T., et al. “Reduced skilfulness of arm motor behaviour among motor stroke patients with good clinical recovery: Does it indicate reduced automaticity? Can it be improved by unilateral or bilateral training? A kinematic motion analysis study”. Neuropsychologia 39 (2001): 687-698.
- Stoykov ME., et al. “Comparison of bilateral and unilateral training for upper extremity hemiparesis in stroke”. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair (2009).
- Harris-Love ML., et al. “Exploiting interlimb coupling to improve paretic arm reaching performance in people with chronic stroke”. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 86 (2005): 2131-2137.
- McCombe Waller S., et al. “Temporal coordination of the arms during bilateral simultaneous and sequential movements in patients with chronic hemiparesis”. Experimental Brain Research 168 (2006): 450-454.
- Rose DK and Winstein CJ. “The coordination of bimanual rapid aiming movements following stroke”. Clinical Rehabilitation 19 (2005): 452-462.
- Cunningham CL., et al. “Bilateral facilitation of motor control in chronic hemiplegia”. Acta Psychology (Amst) 110 (2002): 321-337.
- Messier S., et al. “Kinematic analysis of upper limbs and trunk movement during bilateral movement after stroke”. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 87 (2006): 1463-1470.
- Platz T., et al. “Arm ability training for stroke and traumatic brain injury patients with mild arm paresis: A single-blind, randomized, controlled trial”. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 82 (2001): 961-968.
- Lyden P., et al. “Underlying structure of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale: Results of a factor analysis. Ninds tPA Stroke Trial Investigators”. Stroke 30 (1999): 2347-2354.
- Lang CE., et al. “Measurement of upper-extremity function early after stroke: Properties of the Action Research Arm Test”. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 87 (2006): 1605-1610.
- Lyle RC. “A performance test for assessment of upper limb function in physical rehabilitation treatment and research”. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research 4 (1981): 483-492.
- Yozbatiran N., et al. “A standardized approach to performing the Action Research Arm Test”. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 22 (2008): 78-90.
- Duncan PW., et al. “The Stroke Impact Scale version 2.0. Evaluation of reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change”. Stroke 30 (1999): 2131-2140.
- Lai SM., et al. “Persisting consequences of stroke measured by the Stroke Impact Scale”. Stroke 33 (2002): 1840-1844.
- Fess EE. “Grip strength”. In: Casanova JS, editor. Clinical assessment recommendations. Chicago: American Society of Hand Therapists (1992): 41-45.
- Schmidt RT and Toews JV. “Grip strength as measured by the Jamar dynamometer”. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 51 (1970): 321-327.
- Mathiowetz V., et al. “Grip and pinch strength: Normative data for adults”. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 66 (1985): 69-74.
- Werle S., et al. “Age- and gender-specific normative data of grip and pinch strength in a healthy adult Swiss population”. Journal of Hand Surgery 34 (2009): 76-84.
- Bell-Krotoski J. “Advances in sensibility evaluation”. Hand Clinic 7 (1991): 527-546.
- Bohannon RW and Smith MB. “Interrater reliability of a modified Ashworth scale of muscle spasticity”. Physical Therapy 67 (1987): 206-207.
- Ehrsson HH., et al. “Cortical activity in precision- versus power-grip tasks: An fMRI study”. Journal of Neurophysiology 83 (2000): 528-536.
- Landsmeer JM. “Power grip and precision handling”. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 21 (1962): 164-170.
- Napier JR. “The prehensile movements of the human hand”. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery 38-B (1956): 902-913.
- Pouydebat E., et al. “Evolution of grasping among anthropoids”. J Evol Biol 21 (2008): 1732-1743.
- Lang CE., et al. “Deficits in grasp versus reach during acute hemiparesis”. Experimental Brain Research 166 (2005): 126-136.
- Lang CE., et al. “Recovery of grasp versus reach in people with hemiparesis poststroke”. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 20 (2006): 444-454.
- Caimmi M., et al. “Using kinematic analysis to evaluate constraint-induced movement therapy in chronic stroke patients”. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 22 (2008): 31-39.
- Wagner JM., et al. “Reproducibility and minimal detectable change of three-dimensional kinematic analysis of reaching tasks in people with hemiparesis after stroke”. Physical Therapy 88 (2008): 652-663.
- Patterson TS., et al. “Reliability of upper extremity kinematics while performing different tasks in individuals with stroke”. Journal of Motor Behavior 43 (2011): 121-130.
- Faul F., et al. “G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences”. Behavior Research Methods 39 (2007): 175-191.
- Kelso JA., et al. “On the coordination of two-handed movements”. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 5 (1979): 229-238.
- Kleim JA and Jones TA. “Principles of experience-dependent neural plasticity: Implications for rehabilitation after brain damage”. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 51 (2008): S225-239.
- Castiello U., et al. “The bilateral reach to grasp movement”. Behaviour Brain Research 56 (1993): 43-57.
- Flanagan JR., et al. “Control of fingertip forces in multidigit manipulation”. Journal of Neurophysiology 81 (1999): 1706-1717.
- Johansson RS. “Sensory control of dexterous manipulation in humans”. In: Wing AM, Haggard P, Flanagan JR, editors. Hand and brain. New York: Academic; (1996): 381-414.
Citation
Copyright