Article

In the last few years, not many studies on the use of robot-assisted therapy to
recover hand function in acute stroke patients have been carried out. This
randomized-controlled observer trial is aimed at evaluating the effects of
intensive robot-assisted hand therapy compared with intensive occupational
therapy in the early recovery phases after stroke with a 3-month follow-up.
Twenty acute stroke patients at their first-ever stroke were enrolled and
randomized into two groups.
The experimental treatment was performed using the
Amadeo Robotic System. Control treatment, instead, was carried out using
occupational therapy executed by a trained physiotherapist. All participants
received 20 sessions of treatment for 4 consecutive weeks (5 days/week). The
following clinical scales, Fugl-Meyer Scale (FM), Medical Research Council Scale
for Muscle Strength (hand flexor and extensor muscles) (MRC), Motricity Index
(MI) and modified Ashworth Scale for wrist and hand muscles (MAS), were performed
at baseline (T0), after 20 sessions (end of treatment) (T1) and at the 3-month
follow-up (T2). The Barthel Index was assessed only at T0 and T1. Evidence of a
significant improvement was shown by the Friedman test for the FM [experimental
group (EG): P=0.0039, control group (CG): P<0.0001], Box and Block Test (EG:
P=0.0185, CG: P=0.0086), MI (EG: P<0.0001, CG: P=0.0303) and MRC (EG: P<0.0001,
CG: P=0.001) scales. These results provide further support to the generalized
therapeutic impact of intensive robot-assisted treatment on hand recovery
functions in individuals with acute stroke. The robotic rehabilitation treatment
may contribute toward the recovery of hand motor function in acute stroke
patients. The positive results obtained through the safe and reliable robotic
rehabilitation treatment reinforce the recommendation to extend it to a larger clinical practice.

Langue : ANGLAIS