Article

Telerehabilitation enables a remotely controlled programme to be used
to treat motor deficits in post-stroke patients. The effects of this
telerehabilitation approach were compared with traditional motor rehabilitation
methods. DESIGN: Randomized single-blind controlled trial. PATIENTS: A total of
36 patients with mild arm motor impairments due to ischaemic stroke in the region
of the middle cerebral artery. METHODS: The experimental treatment was a virtual
reality-based system delivered via the Internet, which provided motor tasks to
the patients from a remote rehabilitation facility. The control group underwent
traditional physical therapy for the upper limb. Both treatments were of 4 weeks
duration. All patients were assessed one month prior to therapy, at the
commencement and termination of therapies and one month post-therapy, with the
Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity, the ABILHAND and the Ashworth scales. RESULTS: Both
rehabilitative therapies significantly improved all outcome scores after
treatment, but only the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity scale showed differences in
the comparison between groups. CONCLUSION: Both strategies were effective, but
the experimental approach induced better outcomes in motor performance. These
results may favour early discharge from hospital sustained by a
telerehabilitation programme, with potential beneficial effects on the use of
available resources.

Langue : ANGLAIS