Abstract
The ACRE (ACtive REhabilitation) robotic device is developed to enhance therapeutic treatment of upper limbs after stroke. The aim of this study is to assess effects and costs of ACRE training for frail elderly patients and to establish if ACRE can be a valuable addition to standard therapy in nursing home rehabilitation. The study was designed as randomized controlled trial, one group receiving therapy as usual and the other receiving additional ACRE training. Changes in motor abilities, stroke impact, quality of life and emotional well-being were assessed. In total, 24 patients were included. In this small number no significant effects of the ACRE training were found. A large number of 136 patients were excluded. Main reasons for exclusion were lack of physiological or cognitive abilities. Further improvement of the ACRE can best be focused on making the system suitable for self-training and development of training software for activities of daily living.
Highlights
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the elderly in Western societies [1,2,3]
Right-handed paralysis relates to left hemisphere functions and may be accompanied by problems like communication, while left-handed paralysis may be accompanied by right hemisphere problems in the area of spatial awareness
Our results showed on the one hand a negative difference in the mean change scores between the ACRE training group and the control group for the primary outcome measures on motor recovery
Summary
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the elderly in Western societies [1,2,3]. In The Netherlands, each year 41,000 people suffer a stroke for the first time, 19,000 of those are men and 22,000 are women. Twenty to twentyfive percent of these patients die within four weeks. At this moment, about 190,000 people in the Netherlands have suffered one or more strokes [4]. Cognitive problems are reported like problems with orientation, attention, memory, concentration, information, and communication, still influencing the quality of life of the patients two years after stroke [5] and often the rest of their lives. No significant differences in the consequences of stroke are known related to age or gender of the patients. After a short stay of 7–10 days in the hospital, Journal of Robotics
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