The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of virtual reality (VR) therapy with compensation inhibition and feedback (CIF) on upper extremity function in chronic stroke patients. Seven chronic stroke patients participated in this study, which was a randomized controlled trial with a crossover design. Self upper extremity exercise, conservative VR therapy, and VR therapy with CIF were performed for one hour per session, 5 times per week, over a 3 week period. The main outcome measures involved range of motion (ROM) including shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints, a Manual Function Test (MFT), and a Motor Activity Log (MAL). Data were calculated as posttest and pretest changes in every session and were analyzed using Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests at p<.05. The results were as follows: 1) Statistically significant increase in ROM measurements of shoulder and elbow joints were seen with VR therapy with CIF compared to VR therapy and self upper extremity exercise (p<.05), whereas no significant increasing was noted for the wrist joint (p>.05). 2) Statistically significant increase in the MFT was seen with VR therapy with CIF compared with VR therapy and self upper extremity exercise (p<.05). 3) VR therapy with CIF also resulted in statistically significant increase in both activity of use (AOU) (p<.05) and quality of movement (QOM) (p<.05) on the MAL test when compared with VR therapy and self upper extremity exercise, respectively. In conclusion, VR therapy with CIF was more effective than conservative VR therapy and self upper extremity exercise in improving the upper extremity function in hemiplegic patients with chronic stroke.

This study was designed to get normative data of normal subjects by MFT(Manua1 Func-tion Test). The subjects were 95 normal adults. The results are as follows: 1. Mean scores of left and right MFS(Manua1 Function Score) were respectively 97.43 and 98.13. 2. MFS was higher on right upper extremity function than on left upper extremity function. 3. MFS was not significantly different between male and female. 4. Both left and right MFS (Manual Function Score) was significantly negative correlation with age.

We assessed the function of the both hands and arms of the hemiplegic patients by MFT(Manua1 Function Test) and ADL score of the hemiplegic patients by FIM(Func- tional Independence Measure) and investigate its significance. The subjects of this study were 34 patients who had been hospitalized Rehabilitation Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine. The results are as follows ; 1. MFS(Manua1 Function Score) of both uninvolved upper limbs and involved upper lim- bs were significantly correlated with total FI M score. 2. The shoulder abduction, touch hand to the back , pegboard sub-items of MFT on the uninvolved upper limbs were significantly correlated with total FIM score. 3. The all sub-items of MFT on the involved upper limbs were significantly correlated with total FIM score. 4. The function of both uninvolved upper limbs and involved upper limbs by MFT were significantly correlated with self care, mobility, locomotion. According to the above results, MFT shows the functional status of the hemiplegic patients relatively well.