Arm-Training With T-WREX After Chronic Stroke: Preliminary Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial
By Housman, Sarah J.; Le, Vu; Rahman, Tariq; Sanchez, Jr., Robert J.; Reinkensmeyer, David J.; ICORR 2007 - IEEE 10th International Conference on Rehabilitaton Robotics,Publication Date: February 2007
Review of a randomized controlled trial comparing the Therapy Wilmington Robotic Exoskeleton (T-WREX) with conventional upper extremity exercises. The T-WREX is a passive, body-powered antigravity arm orthosis designed to enable individuals with significant arm weakness to achieve intense movement training without the expense of a supervising therapist. Twenty-three participants, chronic stroke survivors with moderate to severe upper-limb hemiparesis, were divided into an experimental (11 participants) and a control (12 participants) group who received 8 weeks of training, with one cross-over training session to compare treatments. The experimental group exercised with the T-WREX interfaced with Vu Therapy and the web-based Java Therapy softwares. The control group received conventional training with written, self-instructing material and therapist supervision. At trial’s end, participants completed a written questionnaire comparing treatments. The study concluded that, compared with the control group, participants in the experimental group had significantly higher scores on the arm motor section of the Fugl Meyer scale. The post-treatment questionnaire revealed a subjective preference for T-WREX training over conventional exercises. Potential improvements for the T-WREX design are discussed.
Assistive Products Discussed: WREX - WILMINGTON ROBOTIC EXOSKELETON
Published by: Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (Website:http://www.ieee.org)
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number O16903
