Robot-assisted upper limb therapy improves shoulder joint proprioception after stroke

Abstract

Objective To explore the effect of robot-assisted therapy on the shoulder joint proprioception of convalescent stroke survivors. Methods Forty stroke survivors were enrolled and randomized into an experimental group (n=20) and a control group (n=20). Both groups received routine drug treatment and rehabilitation, including the traditional kinesitherapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy, but the experimental group was additionally provided with 20 minutes of robot-assisted upper limb therapy 6 times a week for 8 weeks. Before the intervention and at 4 and 8 weeks the multi-joint system (MJS) upper limb proprioception test system was used to evaluate the average trace error and test execution time of the upper limb. Shoulder joint proprioception was measured at 30° and 60° in intorsion and extorsion using an isokinetic dynamometer. Results Before the training there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of any of the assessments. After 4 and 8 weeks of training, significant improvement was observed in the measurements, and those of the experimental group were significantly better than those of the control group at the same time points. Conclusion Robot-assisted therapy can facilitate the recovery of shoulder joint proprioception after a stroke. It is worthy of application in clinical practice. Key words: Stroke; Upper limbs; Robots; Shoulders; Proprioception