Article

Robot assisted upper extremity therapy has been shown to be effective
in adult stroke patients and in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and other
acquired brain injuries (ABI).
The patient's active involvement is a factor in
its efficacy. However, this demands focused attention during training sessions,
which can be a challenge for children. OBJECTIVE: To compare results of training
requiring two different levels of focused attention. Differences in short term
performance and retention of gains as a function of training protocol as measured
by the Fugl-Meyer (FM) were predicted. METHODS: Thirty-one children with CP or
ABI were randomly divided into two groups. All received 16 one hour sessions of
robot-assisted therapy (twice a week for 8 weeks) where they moved a robot handle
to direct a cursor on the screen toward designated targets. One group had targets
presented sequentially in clockwise fashion, the other presented in random order.
Thus, one group could anticipate the position of each target, the other could
not. RESULTS: Both groups showed significant functional improvement after
therapy, but no significant difference between groups was observed. CONCLUSIONS:
Assist-as-needed robotic training is effective in children with CP or ABI with small non-significant differences attributed to attentional demand.

Langue : ANGLAIS