International Research Journal of Education and Technology

Introduction: Stroke leads to various adverse physical and psychological consequences in the patients. Effective rehabilitation programs minimize post-stroke complications. Several rehabilitation programs exist although it is not clear which method release higher beneficial. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of movement therapy (MT) on the executive functions of patients with post-stroke depression.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study carried out at Elderly Care Centers. Women with stroke experience (n = 36) were selected through purposive sampling and randomly divided into groups MT (N=12) and waiting list control (N=12). Participants assessed with demographic questionnaires, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Wisconsin Card Test (WCST)in pre and post-intervention stages.

Results: The results showed that participants' executive actions in both groups of minds based on stress reduction and therapeutic movement improved (P <0.05). Evaluation of the mean differences showed that in almost all total scores and subscales, the mean scores of the intervention group showed a greater improvement in patients.

Conclusion: movement therapies affected different aspects of executive functions of depressed patients after stroke. It is recommended to develop and examine the effectiveness of integrated mindfulness and movement therapies in Post-stroke depression.

Keywords: MBSR, Movement Therapy, Executive functions, Depression, Stroke