Feasibility of Wearable Devices for Motivating Post-Stroke Patients

The effectiveness of upper extremity rehabilitation in post-stroke patients significantly depends on patient motivation and adherence to therapeutic regimens. Rehabilitation-assistive technologies, including wearable sensors, have been adopted to facilitate intensive and repetitive exercises aimed at reducing hand dysfunction and enhancing quality of life. Building upon the previously introduced Przypominajka (reminder) system reported in this journal-a wearable sensory glove coupled with a mobile application providing exercise guidance and monitoring-we conducted a feasibility study to evaluate its effectiveness in supporting upper limb rehabilitation. Sixteen post-stroke patients with hemiparesis were equally randomized into experimental and control groups. Both groups performed upper limb exercises for 45 min daily for over two weeks. The experimental group utilized the sensor-equipped glove and tablet-based exercises, whereas the control group followed printed exercise instructions. Clinical improvements were measured using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and MORE scales. The experimental group demonstrated a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) on the FMA-UE and reported greater overall improvement than the control group. This study confirms the feasibility and potential clinical benefit of supplementing post-stroke rehabilitation with sensor-augmented exercises provided by the previously described Przypominajka device.