A novel robot-assisted upper-limb rehabilitation program in acute management of post-stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Aim of study is a assess a rehabilitation new protocol designed to directly compare the effectiveness of the robot therapy (by NeReBot developed at Padua University, Italy), with traditional rehabilitation therapy. Methods: Twenty-one subjects within 3 weeks after stroke were randomized in the experimental group (EG; n=11) and control group (CG; n=10). Both received 120 minutes/day treatment for five days a week and for five weeks. The daily treatment in EG included traditional rehabilitation therapy (~65%) and robotic therapy (~35%, 20 minutes, twice a day) consisting of peripheral manipulation of the shoulder and elbow of the impaired limb, correlated with visual stimuli. The CG received only traditional rehabilitation treatment. The motor and functional outcome was measured at the end of treatment, at 3 and 7 months follow-up. Results: The 2 groups were matched for demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline. Both groups showed motor and functional recovery of the upper limb at the end of the treatment protocol and after 3 months’ follow-up. No significant differences were found between CG and EG. The EG patients showed excellent acceptance and toleration of robot therapy. Conclusion: A rehabilitation programme including Nerebot training, seems to lead to an improvement in the impaired upper limb, similarly to traditional rehabilitation treatment, and persists at the follow-up