Article

The goals of this pilot study were to quantify the clinical benefits
of using the Hand Exoskeleton Rehabilitation Robot for hand rehabilitation after
stroke and to determine the population best served by this intervention. DESIGN:
Nine subjects with chronic stroke (one excluded from analysis) completed 18
sessions of training with the Hand Exoskeleton Rehabilitation Robot and a
preevaluation, a postevaluation, and a 90-day clinical evaluation. RESULTS:
Overall, the subjects improved in both range of motion and clinical measures.
Compared with the preevaluation, the subjects showed significant improvements in
range of motion, grip strength, and the hand component of the Fugl-Meyer (mean
changes, 6.60 degrees, 8.84 percentage points, and 1.86 points, respectively). A
subgroup of six subjects exhibited lower tone and received a higher dosage of
training. These subjects had significant gains in grip strength, the hand
component of the Fugl-Meyer, and the Action Research Arm Test (mean changes, 8.42
percentage points, 2.17 points, and 2.33 points, respectively). CONCLUSIONS:
Future work is needed to better manage higher levels of hypertonia and provide
more support to subjects with higher impairment levels; however, the current
results support further study into the Hand Exoskeleton Rehabilitation Robot
treatment.

Langue : ANGLAIS