OBJECTIVE: 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. DESIGN: Randomized single-blind controlled trial. PATIENTS: A total of 36 patients with mild arm motor impairments due to ischaemic stroke in the region of the middle cerebral artery. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: Telerehabilitation enables a remotely controlled programme to be used to treat motor deficits in post-strokepatients. The effects of this telerehabilitation approach were compared with traditional motor rehabilitation methods. DESIGN: Randomized single-blind controlled trial. PATIENTS: A total of 36 patients with mild arm motor impairments due to ischaemic stroke in the region of the middle cerebral artery. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.
Authors: Bryan A Rabin; Grigore C Burdea; Doru T Roll; Jasdeep S Hundal; Frank Damiani; Simcha Pollack Journal: Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol Date: 2011-11-22
Authors: Susan M Linder; Anson B Rosenfeldt; Aimee Reiss; Sharon Buchanan; Komal Sahu; Curtis R Bay; Steven L Wolf; Jay L Alberts Journal: Int J Stroke Date: 2013-01 Impact factor: 5.266
Authors: Geoffrey Sithamparapillai Samuel; Nicodemus Edrick Oey; Min Choo; Han Ju; Wai Yin Chan; Stanley Kok; Yu Ge; Antonius M Van Dongen; Yee Sien Ng Journal: Singapore Med J Date: 2016-06-17 Impact factor: 1.858