Article

OBJECTIVE: To compare kinematic indices in age-matched healthy subjects and
stroke patients, by evaluating various tasks performed with a robotic device, and
to provide an objective and standardized protocol to assess upper limb
impairments in stroke patients. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SUBJECTS:
Age-matched healthy subjects
(n = 10) and stroke patients (n = 10). METHODS:
Various kinematic indices were analysed from 3 randomly assigned tasks performed
by the affected arm in stroke patients and the dominant arm in healthy subjects.
These tasks, composed of large-amplitude, targeted and geometrical movements,
were standardized and performed with the ReaPLAN robotic device. RESULTS: For
large-amplitude movements, the stroke patients' path lengths were less constant
in amplitude, less rectilinear and less smooth than those for healthy subjects (p
< 0.001). For the targeted movements, the stroke patients' path lengths were less
rectilinear than those of the healthy subjects (p < 0.001).
For the geometrical
movements, the stroke patients had greater difficulty making the requested shapes
compared with the healthy subjects (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our study proposes an
objective and standardized protocol to assess stroke patients' upper limbs with
any robotic device. We suggest that further randomized controlled trials could
use this quantitative tool to assess the efficacy of treatments such as robot-assisted therapy.

Langue : ANGLAIS