Article

At 6 months poststroke, most patients cannot incorporate their
affected hand into daily activities, which in turn is likely to reduce their
perceived quality of life. OBJECTIVE: This preliminary study explored change in
patient-reported, health-related quality of life associated with robotic-assisted
therapy combined with reduced therapist-supervised training. DESIGN AND SETTING:
A single-blind, multi-site, randomized clinical trial was conducted.
PARTICIPANTS: Seventeen individuals who were 3 to 9 months poststroke
participated. INTERVENTION: Sixty hours of therapist-supervised repetitive task
practice (RTP) was compared with 30 hours of RTP combined with 30 hours of
robotic-assisted therapy. MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed the Stroke Impact
Scale (SIS) at baseline, immediately postintervention, and 2 months
postintervention. Change in SIS score domains was assessed in a mixed model
analysis. RESULTS: The combined therapy group had a greater increase in rating of
mood from preintervention to postintervention, and the RTP-only group had a
greater increase in rating of social participation from preintervention to
follow-up. Both groups had statistically significant improvement in activities of
daily living and instrumental activities of daily living scores from
preintervention to postintervention. Both groups reported significant improvement
in hand function postintervention and at follow-up, and the magnitude of these
changes suggested clinical significance. The combined therapy group had
significant improvements in stroke recovery rating postintervention and at
follow-up, which appeared clinically significant; this also was true for stroke
recovery rating from preintervention to follow-up in the RTP-only group.
LIMITATIONS OUTCOMES: of 30 hours of RTP in the absence of robotic-assisted
therapy remain unknown. CONCLUSION: Robotic-assisted therapy may be an effective
alternative or adjunct to the delivery of intensive task practice interventions
to enhance hand function recovery in patients with stroke.

Langue : ANGLAIS