Electromyography-controlled exoskeletal upper-limb-powered orthosis for exercise training after stroke

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Neuroscience
• Robotics

Background:

• Robot-assisted exercise offers a promising approach for rehabilitation in individuals with neurological conditions like stroke.
• Wearable robots, or exoskeletons, can provide therapeutic exercise and powered orthosis to address chronic weakness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel electromyography (EMG)-controlled exoskeletal robotic brace for the elbow.
• To evaluate the efficacy of this brace for exercise training in individuals with chronic hemiparesis after stroke through a pilot study.

Main Methods:

• Six stroke survivors with severe chronic hemiparesis completed 18 hours of exercise training over 6 weeks using the EMG-controlled robotic elbow brace.
• Outcome measures included the upper-extremity Fugl-Meyer scale and the modified Ashworth scale for muscle hypertonicity.

Main Results:

• The mean upper-extremity Fugl-Meyer scale score significantly increased from 15.5 to 19 (P = 0.04).
• Muscle hypertonicity, measured by the modified Ashworth scale, significantly improved for both elbow flexors/extensors and the entire upper limb (P = 0.009).
• All participants tolerated the device well, with no reported complications.

Conclusions:

• EMG-controlled powered elbow orthoses are controllable by stroke survivors with severe hemiparesis.
• This technology presents a promising new method for assisted exercise training in post-stroke rehabilitation.