Effects of Combined Robotic Therapy and Repetitive Task Practice on Upper-Extremity Function in a Patient With Chronic Stroke

 Is there any possibility that a chronic survivor could get access to this robotic therapy?  Unlikely, so this is actually fucking useless!

Effects of Combined Robotic Therapy and Repetitive Task Practice on Upper-Extremity Function in a Patient With Chronic Stroke

 Libby Rosenstein, Angela L. Ridgel, Anil Thota, Bridgette Samame, Jay L. Alberts

Libby Rosenstein, OTR/L, is Clinical Specialist, Occupational Therapist, Department of Occupational Therapy, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195; rosensl@ccf.org. Angela L. Ridgel, PhD, is Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Occupational Therapy, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH. Anil Thota, MS, is Research Engineer, Department of Occupational Therapy, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH. Bridgette Samame, OTR/L, is Occupational Therapist, Department of Occupational Therapy, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH. Jay L. Alberts, PhD, is Assistant Staff, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Neurological Restoration, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.

OBJECTIVE. This paper describes the effect of a robotic device combined with repetitive task practice (RTP) on upper-extremity function in a patient with chronic stroke. 

METHOD. The client was a 32-year-old woman, 11 months after stroke, with minimal wrist and finger move- ment. She received approximately 48 hr of intervention split evenly between a robotic device (Hand Mentor) and RTP over 3 weeks. 

RESULTS. Favorable scores in the Wolf Motor Function Test were observed from pre- to postevaluation. Active range of motion, from pre- to postintervention, increased by 35° in the shoulder, 65° in the wrist and 70° in the thumb. Kinetic analysis of a bimanual dexterity task indicated improved specification of grasping forces for both limbs. 

CONCLUSION. Improvements in upper-extremity motor functioning and functional performance in daily tasks followed this client’s engagement in distal initiation of movement during RTP exercise regime that was robotically reinforced. Rosenstein, L., Ridgel, A. L., Thota, A., Samame, B., & Alberts, J. L. (2007). The effects of combined robotic therapy and repetitive task practice on upper-extremity function in a patient with chronic stroke. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62, 000–000.