A comparison of treatment effects after sensor- and robot-based task-oriented arm training in highly functional stroke patients.

A large number of rehabilitation technologies for stroke patients has been developed in the last decade. To date it is insufficiently clear what the strengths of these different technologies are in relation to certain patient characteristics, such as the level of muscle strength and/or functional ability. One of the reasons is that research protocols differ so much that comparison of treatment results is impossible. This paper compares, while using the same patient inclusion criteria and training protocol, the effectivity of a sensor-supported versus robot-supported task-oriented arm training for highly functional chronic stroke patients. It appeared that individual improvements over time and Hedges's g effect sizes were twice as large for the sensor-based training compared to the robot-supported training in stroke patients with high functional levels. New research is planned to compare both therapy approaches for stroke patients with low and average functional levels.