Stroke Survivors' Interaction With Hand Rehabilitation Devices: Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Stroke frequently impacts hand function, affecting daily living and social interaction in 55-75% of survivors.
• While rehabilitation devices aim to restore function, access is limited for individuals with severe impairments.
• Current technologies may not cater to the full spectrum of hand function loss post-stroke.

Purpose of the Study:

• To observe stroke survivors with poor hand function interacting with common hand rehabilitation devices.
• To identify challenges faced by individuals with severe hand impairment when using existing rehabilitation technology.

Main Methods:

• An 8-week rehabilitation intervention in a technology-enriched gym.
• Participants (n=29) with varying hand function (assessed by ARAT) interacted with GripAble, NeuroBall, and Semi-Circular Peg Board devices.
• Observations of device interaction were recorded, focusing on participants with poor hand function (ARAT 0-9).

Main Results:

• Of 29 participants, 10 (34%) had poor hand function (ARAT 0-9).
• Only 20% (2/10) of participants with poor hand function could interact with the devices.
• The 80% (8/10) unable to interact had an ARAT score of 0, primarily due to muscle tone/stiffness or weakness.

Conclusions:

• Current hand rehabilitation technologies are not universally accessible to all stroke survivors.
• Individuals with an ARAT score of 0 cannot actively engage with existing devices due to inability to perform necessary movements.
• Future device design must prioritize accessibility for stroke survivors with severe hand impairments, considering factors like muscle tone and weakness.