Comparison Of Robot-Assisted Therapy And Limb Training Exercises In Upper Limb Rehabilitation Of Stroke Patients

Thursday, November 10, 2022

9:45 AM – 9:50 AM

Location: Station 7

Presenting Author(s)

TS

Thida San, n/a

Lecturer/Consultant
University of Medicine 1, Yangon, Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)

Non-presenting Author(s)

TH

Than T. Htay, n/a

Professor/Head (Retired)
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Yangon, Myanmar, Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)
KH

Khin Myo Hla, n/a

Professor/Head
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Yangon, Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)

Research Objectives: To compare the effect of robot-assisted therapy and limb training exercises on motor recovery and functional ability in upper limb rehabilitation of stroke patients.

Design: It was a two years hospital based randomized controlled clinical study started from approval of Academic Board of Study and Research and Ethics committee on 12th October 2017.

Setting: It was a two years hospital based randomized controlled clinical study started from approval of Academic Board of Study and Research and Ethics committee on 12th October 2017.

Participants: Total 64 hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke patients with informed consent who could sit in front of the robotic machine and had spasticity (not more than 2) in their affected side of upper limb were randomly selected into two groups A or B by the randomization table.

Interventions: Group A patients were treated with robot assisted therapy while group B was given limb training exercises, taking 30 minutes each session, three sessions per week for six weeks for each group (total 18 sessions) together with 45 minutes of the same conventional physiotherapy every day for six weeks.

Main Outcome Measures: Assessments for motor recovery and functional ability used were FMA (UE) and WMFT (Time and FAS) at every 6 sessions.

Results: In this present study, motor recovery and functional ability improved more in group (A) than group (B) in every 6 sessions. There was also significant in differences between the mean values of 0 session and 18th session in all assessments (p < 0.05). Statistical significance level was determined at p < 0.05 level. So robot-assisted therapy could enhance motor recovery and functional ability in stroke patients.

Conclusions: In conclusion, adding robot-assisted therapy to conventional physiotherapy had better outcome compared with that of limb training exercises with conventional physiotherapy in upper limb rehabilitation of stroke patients.

Author(s) Disclosures: There was nothing to declare any conflicts and financial support for this study.

Learning Objectives:

To find out the effect of robot-assisted therapy on motor recovery and functional ability of stroke patients
To determine the effect of limb training exercises on motor recovery and functional ability of stroke patients
To compare the effect of robot-assisted therapy and limb training exercises on motor recovery and functional ability of stroke patients in two groups