Augmented Reality as Mirror Therapy in Post Stroke Treatment

After a stroke, a limb may present motor deficits that lead to daily activities limitation and functional disabilities, restricting the patient's social interaction, leading to insolation and even depression due the inability to perform basic tasks. One of the means of treatment for this deficit is the mirror therapy that seeks the activation of neural networks through an optical illusion between a good and an affected limb. This work presents a technological approach for the mirror therapy application. Here we propose, explain and discuss the use of augmented reality as mirror therapy in the stroke treatment. Using a smart phone camera we replace a compromised member by a virtual that makes specific movements. In this way, we seek to create an efficient therapeutic tool that is easily accessible through a cellular device, providing resource for the practice of this therapy and speeding up the motor and functional recovery of patients.