Feasibility of Robot-assisted Rehabilitation in Poststroke Recovery of Upper Limb Function Depending on the Severity
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- SAITA Kazuya
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fukuoka University Hospital Department of Rehabilitation, Fukuoka University Hospital
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- MORISHITA Takashi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fukuoka University Hospital
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- HYAKUTAKE Koichi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fukuoka University Hospital Department of Rehabilitation, Fukuoka University Hospital
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- OGATA Toshiyasu
- Department of Neurology, Fukuoka University Hospital
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- FUKUDA Hiroyuki
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fukuoka University Hospital Department of Rehabilitation, Fukuoka University Hospital
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- KAMADA Satoshi
- Department of Rehabilitation, Fukuoka University Hospital
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- INOUE Tooru
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fukuoka University Hospital
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Abstract
<p>The single-joint Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL-SJ) robot is an exoskeleton-type suit developed for the neurorehabilitation of upper limb function. Several studies have addressed the usefulness of the robot; however, the appropriate patient selection remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the HAL-SJ exoskeleton in improving upper limb function in the subacute phase after a stroke, as a function of the severity of arm paralysis. Our analysis was based on a retrospective review of 35 patients, treated using the HAL-SJ exoskeleton in the subacute phase after their stroke, between October 2014 and December 2018. The severity of upper limb impairment was quantified using the Brunnstrom recovery stage (BRS) as follows: severe, BRS score 1–2, n = 10; moderate, BRS 3–4, n = 12; and mild, BRS 5–6, n = 13. The primary endpoint was the improvement in upper limb function, from baseline to post-intervention, measured using the Fugl-Meyer assessment upper limb motor score (ΔFMA-UE; range 0–66). The ΔFMA-UE score was significant for all three severity groups (P <0.05). The magnitude of improvement was greater in the moderate group than in the mild group (P <0.05). The greatest improvement was attained for patients with a moderate level of upper limb impairment at baseline. Our findings support the feasibility of the HAL-SJ to improve upper limb function in the subacute phase after a stroke with appropriate patient selection. This study is the first report showing the effect of robot-assisted rehabilitation using the HAL-SJ, according to the severity of paralysis in acute stroke patients with upper extremity motor deficits.</p>
Journal
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- Neurologia medico-chirurgica
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Neurologia medico-chirurgica 60 (4), 217-222, 2020
The Japan Neurosurgical Society