Exercises for paretic upper limb after stroke: a combined virtual-reality and telemedicine approach

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. Randomized single-blind controlled trial. A total of 36 patients with mi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of rehabilitation medicine 2009-10, Vol.41 (12), p.1016-102
Main Authors: Piron, Lamberto, Turolla, Andrea, Agostini, Michela, Zucconi, Carla, Cortese, Feliciana, Zampolini, Mauro, Zannini, Mara, Dam, Mauro, Ventura, Laura, Battauz, Michela, Tonin, Paolo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Exercise Therapy - methods
Female
Hospitals
Humans
Induced
Internet
Male
Middle Aged
Motor Activity - physiology
Paresis - physiopathology
Paresis - rehabilitation
Recovery of Function
Rehabilitation
Robotics
Single-Blind Method
Stroke - physiopathology
Stroke Rehabilitation
Strokes
Telemedicine
Treatment Outcome
Upper Extremity - physiopathology
Upper limbs
User-Computer Interface
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Summary: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. Randomized single-blind controlled trial. A total of 36 patients with mild arm motor impairments due to ischaemic stroke in the region of the middle cerebral artery. 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. 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. 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.
ISSN:1650-1977
1651-2081
DOI:10.2340/16501977-0459