4. Clinical and functional evaluation: all assessments will be done by a neurologist and a physiotherapist not involved in the rehabilitation program and blinded with respect to patients' group assignment. The Fugl-Meyer, will be used for the motor assessment of the upper extremity (FMA, range 0-66) while the Functional Independence Measure (FIM, range 18 - 126) will be used for global functional evaluation. In order to investigate neurophysiological changes the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS, range 0-5) as measure of spasticity in shoulder abductors, elbow, wrist, finger and thumb flexors will be administered. Also the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, range 0 - 10) for pain assessment will be used. At the end of treatment, the subjects will provide a score of satisfaction with the therapy (1=poor; 2=sufficient; 3=good; 4=excellent). All patients will be assessed from a cognitive point of view with Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). To check for the presence of apraxia, the scales of De Renzi and Goldenberg for ideational and ideomotor apraxia will be applied. In order to rule out aphasia, the Token Test and the test of free association between words will be used used. Working memory will be evaluated by means of verbal and visuospatial span. Depression of mood will be investigated in all patients through the Beck Depression Inventory.