Socially Assistive Robot for Stroke Rehabilitation: A Long-Term in-the-Wild Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Robotics
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Socially assistive robots (SARs) show potential for post-stroke rehabilitation.
• Long-term efficacy of SARs for improving functional ability post-stroke remains under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of long-term upper-limb rehabilitation using SARs versus computer-based training or usual care in post-stroke individuals.
• To assess changes in motor ability and quality of life.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 33 post-stroke patients randomly assigned to three groups: SAR intervention (ROBOT), computer intervention (COMPUTER), or usual care (CONTROL).
• Intervention consisted of 15 sessions over two years, three times per week.
• Clinical and kinematic measures, including the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) and Fugl-Meyer upper-extremity assessment (FMA-UE), were used.

Main Results:

• Participants in the ROBOT group demonstrated significant improvements in movement smoothness, ARAT, and FMA-UE scores.
• No significant improvements were observed in the COMPUTER or CONTROL groups.
• 100% of ROBOT group participants achieved or exceeded the minimal clinically important difference in ARAT scores.

Conclusions:

• Long-term interaction with SARs is feasible and clinically beneficial for upper-limb rehabilitation in post-stroke individuals.
• SARs offer a promising approach to enhance motor recovery and quality of life after stroke.