Assessing mechanisms of recovery during robot-aided neurorehabilitation of the upper limb

Objective. The present study aimed to qualify and quantify the different components of motor recovery in a group of stroke patients treated by robot-aided techniques. In addition, the learning model of each motor recovery component was analyzed. Methods. Two groups of poststroke patients were treated with the use of an elbow-shoulder manipulator, respectively, within (recent) and after (chronic) the first 6 months of their cerebrovascular accident. Both groups were evaluated by means of standard clinical assessment scales and a robot-measured evaluation method. Results. These findings confirm that motor training consisting of voluntary movements assisted by the robot device led to significant improvements in motor performance in terms of the kinematic and dynamic components of the arm movements. This corresponded to improvement of impairment as confirmed by the clinical scale results. Conclusions. Knowledge of the recovery components and of the associated performance acquisition model may be useful in assessing and training stroke patients and should make it possible to precisely plan and, if necessary, modify the rehabilitation strategies.