Abstract: Objective To observe the effect of motor imagery on unilateral spatial neglect (USN) in stroke patients. Methods 40 stroke patients with USN were divided into treatment group (n=20) and control group (n=20). Both groups received routine physical therapy training,while the treatment group received motor imagery in addition. All the patients were assessed with Chinese Behavioral Inattention Test (CBIT), Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) and modified Barthel index (MBI) before and 8 weeks after treatment. Results The scores of CBIT, MMSE, FMA and MBI were better in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.01).Conclusion Motor imagery combined with routine physical treatment can improve the function of stroke patients with USN and their activities of daily living.

Key words: motor imagery therapy, stroke, unilateral spatial neglect