Effects of hand robot-assisted training on hemiplegic stroke patients′ recovery of upper-limb function: A randomized and controlled trial

Objective To explore the effect of intensive upper limb therapy assisted by a hand robot on motor function after stroke and performance in the activities of daily living. Methods Thirty-two hemiplegic stroke survivors were randomly divided into a conventional rehabilitation group (group A, n=10), a robot-assisted therapy group (group B, n=10), and a robot-assisted intensive therapy group (group C, n=12). The three groups all received routine drug therapy and daily 40 min sessions of conventional rehabilitation training 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Those in groups B and C were additionally provided with 20 min of robot-assisted therapy or 40 min of more intensive robot-assisted intensive therapy respectively. Before and after the intervention, the 3 groups were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer assessment for the upper extremities (FMA-UE), the action research arm test (ARAT) and the modified Barthel Index (MBI). Results No significant differences were observed among the 3 groups in any of the measurements before the treatment. In each group the average FMA-UE, MBI and ARAT scores had increased significantly after four weeks of treatment. The improvements in the average FMA-UE and ARAT scores were more significant in group B than in group A, while the FMA, MBI and ARAT scores suggested a significantly greater improvement in group C than in group B. Conclusion Robot assistance can help to improve upper extremity motor function after a stroke. It also has an obvious effect on improving performance in the activities of daily living. Key words: Stroke; Hemiplegia; Upper extremity function; Robot technology