The trunk exercises performed on the physio ball are more effective than those performed on the plinth in improving both trunk control and functional balance in acute stroke patients, suggesting a task-specific effect and also a carry-over effect.

Although the power of this study was limited, our preliminary data suggest that disease susceptibility genes in MS in the Indian population may be similar to those of western populations.

Optic neuritis in India appears similar to that in the West with nearly 50% developing MS in the long term.

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of mirror therapy on lower extremity motor recovery, balance and mobility in patients with acute stroke.Design:A randomized, sham-controlled, assessor blinded, pilot trial.Setting:Inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit.Subjects:First time onset of stroke with mean post-stroke duration of 6.41 days, able to respond to verbal instructions, and Brunnstrom recovery stage 2 and above were enrolled.Intervention:Mirror therapy group performed 30 minutes of functional synergy movements of non-paretic lower extremity, whereas control group underwent sham therapy with similar duration. In addition, both groups were administered with conventional stroke rehabilitation regime. Altogether 90 minutes therapy session per day, six days a week, for two weeks duration was administered to both groups.Outcome Measures:Lower extremity motor subscale of Fugl Meyer Assessment (FMA), Brunnel Balance Assessment (BBA) and Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC).Results:Amongst the 22 patients included, equal number of patients participated in mirror group (N = 11) and control group (N = 11). Baseline variables were similar in both groups, except for Brunnstrom recovery stage. There was no statistical difference between groups, except for FAC. (FMA: P = 0.894; BBA: P = 0.358; FAC: P = 0.02). Significance was set at P < 0.05.Conclusion:Administration of mirror therapy early after stroke is not superior to conventional treatment in improving lower limb motor recovery and balance, except for improvement in mobility.