| Objective: To observe the effectiveness of intellectual rehabilitation robot-assisted glove therapy for hand and upper limbs function in patients with stroke-induced hemiplegia. Methods: A total of 60 patients with stroke-induced hemiplegia were recruited and then equally divided into control group (n=30) and observation group (n=30). Both groups were treated with traditional rehabilitation methods such as exercise therapy and physical factor therapy. In addition, the control group received conventional therapy of routine hand function training such as grasping and holding, and the treatment group received the robot-assisted therapy to perform the exercise of the upper limb and hand function by grasping, picking up a ball and holding objects with the intellectual rehabilitation gloves. The effectiveness was assessed by Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and hand function evaluation (HFE) at 1, 2 and 3 weeks post-treatments. Results: In comparison with pre-treatments, the scores of WMFT and HFE in all time-points (week 1, week 2 and week 3) of both groups were significantly higher (P<0.01); In comparison with week 1, the scores of WMFT and HFE in both groups in week 2 and week 3 were significantly higher (P<0.01). The scores of WMFT and HFE in week 3 were higher than those in week 2 (P<0.01); In week 1, there was no significant difference in the scores of WMFT and HFE between the control group and the treatment group. In week 2 and week 3, however, the scores of WMFT and HFE in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Robot-assisted therapy with the intellectual flexible robotic rehabilitation gloves could improve the function of upper limb and hands of patients with stroke-induced hemiplegia. |
