Portable neurorobotics for the severely affected arm in XXXX : a case study.

@entity1 @entity64 @entity1269
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Few motor therapies increase active movement in the severely impaired arm of individuals with @entity64 . Existing robotic devices to address this need are large and expensive. This case study describes the application and reports outcomes associated with a repetitive task-specific training (RTP) program incorporating a portable robotic device. We assessed outcomes related to affected arm impairment, ability to perform valued activities, satisfaction with movement performance, and quality of life in a @entity1 with @entity64 exhibiting severe arm @entity1269 . CASE DESCRIPTION: The @entity1 was a 53-year-old @entity1 , 30 months after @entity64 . At the time of enrollment, he exhibited some active shoulder and elbow flexion, but no active elbow extension, and no active movement at any joint below the elbow. INTERVENTION: The @entity1 engaged in RTP incorporating a portable, electromyography-triggered neurorobotic device in 1-hour sessions, 3 days/week for 8 weeks using the affected arm. OUTCOMES: The upper extremity section of the Fugl-Meyer Impairment scale (FM), the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), and the @entity64 Impact Scale (SIS) were administered before and after training. After intervention, the subject exhibited reduced affected arm impairment (+2 points on the FM), increased ability to perform valued activities, increased satisfaction with performance of these activities (indicated by score increases of +2 and +1.8 points on the COPM Performance and Satisfaction scales, respectively), improved strength, performance of activities of daily living, hand function, participation, and physical function (as indicated by increases in respective SIS scores). DISCUSSION: The RTP incorporating the neurorobotic device appears promising. To our knowledge, this is the first study documenting a portable robotic-based RTP strategy in a @entity1 exhibiting this severity of @entity1269 .
