Article

OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcome of robot-assisted therapy with dose-matched
active control therapy by using accelerometers to study functional recovery in
chronic stroke patients.
DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled trial.
Setting: Stroke units in three medical centres. Subjects: Twenty patients post
stroke for a mean of 22 months. Intervention: Robot-assisted therapy (n = 10) or
dose-matched active control therapy (n = 10). All patients received either of
these two therapies for 90-105 minutes each day, 5 days per week, for four weeks.
MAIN MEASURES: Outcome measures included arm activity ratio (the ratio of mean
activity between the impaired and unimpaired arm) and scores on the Fugl-Meyer
Assessment Scale, Functional Independence Measure, Motor Activity Log and
ABILHAND questionnaire. RESULTS: The robot-assisted therapy group significantly
increased motor function, hemiplegic arm activity and bilateral arm coordination
(Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale: 51.20 +/- 8.82, P = 0.002; mean arm activity ratio:
0.76 +/- 0.10, P = 0.026; ABILHAND questionnaire: 1.24 +/- 0.28, P = 0.043)
compared with the dose-matched active control group (Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale:
40.90 +/- 13.14; mean arm movement ratio: 0.69 +/- 0.11; ABILHAND questionnaire:
0.95 +/- 0.43). CONCLUSIONS: Symmetrical and bilateral robotic practice, combined
with functional task training, can significantly improve motor function, arm
activity, and self-perceived bilateral arm ability in patients late after stroke.

Langue : ANGLAIS