Robotic Arm Found To Be Useful In Stroke Therapy Rehabilitation

Genoa, Italy (AHN) – In the future shaking hands with a robotic arm may be part of the rehabilitation protocol for stroke patients learning to use their arms again.

Elena Vergaro, from the University of Genoa, Italy, worked with a team of researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, to develop the robotic aid. When asked about the early findings of the ‘Braccio di Ferro’ (Iron arm) she says, “Our preliminary results from this small group of patients suggest that the scheme is robust and promotes a statistically significant improvement in performance. Future large-scale controlled clinical trials should confirm that robot-assisted physiotherapy can allow functional achievements in activities of daily life.”

As patients work to guide the robotic arm into a figure-of-eight motion using the device’s controls they would assist patients in re-learning how to use their arms. Vergaro says, “Stroke survivors perform arm movements in abnormal ways, for example by elevating the shoulder in order to lift the arm, or leaning forward with the torso instead of extending the elbow.”

Researchers and therapists believe employing incorrect patterns may limit a patient’s ability to achieve higher levels of movement ability, and can also lead to repetitive use injuries. Vergaro says, “By demonstrating the correct movements, a robot can help the motor system of the subject learn to replicate the desired trajectory by experience.”

The details of the pilot trial on 10 patients can be read in BioMed Central’s open access Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.

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