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Updated: Jul 7, 2026
The Combined Use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Robotic Therapy for the Upper Limb
Published on: September 23, 2018
Effects of combined robotic therapy and repetitive-task practice on upper-extremity function in a patient with
Libby Rosenstein1, Angela L Ridgel, Anil Thota
1Department of Occupational Therapy, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. rosensl@ccf.org
Objective:
This article describes the effect of a robotic device combined with repetitive-task practice (RTP) on upper-extremity function in a patient with chronic stroke.
Method:
The client was a 32-year-old woman, 11 months after stroke, with minimal wrist and finger movement. She received approximately 48 hr of intervention split evenly between a robotic device (Hand Mentor) and RTP during 3 weeks.
Results:
Favorable scores in the Wolf Motor Function Test were observed from pre- to postevaluation. Active range of motion, from pre- to postintervention, increased by 35 degrees in the shoulder, 65 degrees in the wrist, and 70 degrees in the thumb. Kinetic analysis of a bimanual dexterity task indicated improved specification of grasping forces for both limbs.
Conclusion:
Improvements in upper-extremity motor functioning and functional performance in daily tasks followed this client's engagement in distal initiation of movement during an RTP exercise regimen that was robotically reinforced.
