Robot-Assisted Therapy Combined with Trunk Restraint in Acute Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Study

Area of Science:

• Neurorehabilitation
• Robotics in Medicine
• Stroke Recovery

Background:

• Compensatory movements can limit rehabilitation effectiveness.
• Restraining trunk movements may optimize robot-assisted therapy outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate robot-assisted therapy with trunk restraint in acute stroke patients (≤30 days post-onset).
• To assess impacts on upper extremity function and daily activities.

Main Methods:

• 36 acute stroke patients randomly assigned to experimental (robot-assisted therapy + trunk restraint) or control (robot-assisted therapy only) groups.
• Intervention: 30 minutes/day, 5 days/week for 3 weeks.
• Outcome measures: Fugl-Meyer Assessment (Upper Extremity), Wolf Motor Function Test, Motor Activity Log, muscle strength, Modified Barthel Index.

Main Results:

• Both groups improved significantly in motor function and daily activities.
• The experimental group showed superior improvements in upper extremity function and elbow extensor strength.

Conclusions:

• Robot-assisted therapy combined with trunk restraint is more effective than robot-assisted therapy alone for acute stroke patients.
• This strategy enhances upper extremity function and daily activity performance.