Implementation of a robot-mediated upper limb rehabilitation protocol for a customized treatment after stroke: A
Arianna Pavan1, Alessio Fasano1, Laura Cortellini1
1IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Florence, Italy.
Background:
Many authors have emphasized the need for individualized treatments in rehabilitation, but no tailored robotic rehabilitation protocol for stroke patients has been established yet.
Objective:
To evaluate the effectiveness of a robot-mediated upper limb rehabilitation protocol based on clinical assessment for customized treatment of stroke patients.
Methods:
Clinical data from 81 patients with subacute stroke, undergoing an upper limb robot-mediated rehabilitation, were analyzed retrospectively. 49 patients were treated using a customized robotic protocol (experimental group, EG) based on a clinically guided flowchart, while 32 were treated without it (control group, CG). Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), Motricity Index (MI), modified Barthel Index (mBI) and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) measured before (T0) and after (T1) rehabilitation intervention were used as clinical outcomes.
Results:
There was statistically significant improvement in both groups in terms of FMA-UE, MI, and mBI, while no change in NRS. Intergroup analysis showed significantly greater improvement of the FMA-UE (P = 0.002) and MI (P < 0.001) in the EG, compared with the CG.
Conclusion:
The implementation of our robotic protocol for customized treatment of stroke patients yielded greater recovery in upper limb motor function and strength over robotic treatment without a defined protocol.
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