Safety Study of Thermal Stimulation on Upper Extremity Motor Recovery to Stroke

Improving upper extremity movement and function in patients with stroke has been one of the primary goals for patients and rehabilitation professionals. Thermal stimulation (TS) had been first found by a domestic research group to be effective to facilitate sensory and motor recovery in patients with stroke within a month. However, the immediate and long-term effects of TS and the mechanism of brain plasticity in patients with stroke for more than three months (golden recovery stage) remain unknown. Thus, we will design a single-blind randomized controlled trial to investigate the immediate and long-term effects of TS in patients with stroke at subacute and chronic stages.