Objective  To explore the effects of mirror therapy combined with task-oriented training on limb function recovery in stroke patients with hemiplegia.

  Methods  A total of 304 older patients with post-stroke hemiplegia who received treatment in Nanyang Third People's Hospital between March 2020 and March 2022 were enrolled as the subjects. They were assigned to the intervention group and the control group through a systematic randomization method, with 152 patients in each group. The control group was treated with conventional medication and task-oriented training, while the intervention group received a combined mirror therapy in addition to the treatment given to the control group. Both groups received continuous treatment for 3 months. The pre-treatment findings and those obtained after 3 month of treatment were compared between the two groups in the following areas, the neurological functions, including the levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100β, a central nervous system specific protein, upper and lower limb motor function as reflected by Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) score, balance ability as measured by Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and the integrated electromyography (iEMG) values of quadriceps femoris, gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior muscles, three-dimensional gait spatiotemporal parameters, and quality of life as reflected by the assessment results for the National Institute of Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale (SS-QOL). The findings were compared to identify changes.

  Results   After 3 months of treatment, the FMA and BBS scores and three-dimensional gait spatio-temporal parameters in the intervention group were significantly better than those in the control group (all P<0.05).

  Conclusion   Mirror therapy combined with task-oriented training promotes the function recovery of the affected limbs in older patients with post-stroke hemiplegia, effectively improves their motor function and quality of life, and helps improve patient prognosis.