Wongwatcharanon Thanyaporn, Earde Pinailug Tantilipikorn, Rungroungdouyboon Bunyong, Kooncumchoo Patcharee
Medical Engineering Program, Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat University, Khlong Luang 12120, Thailand.
School of Human Kinetics and Health, Faculty of Health Science Technology, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok 10210, Thailand.
Life (Basel). 2025 Jun 22;15(7):994. doi: 10.3390/life15070994.
Upper-limb impairments after stroke significantly affect patients' quality of life and require effective rehabilitation strategies. Rehabilitation devices play a vital role in enhancing motor recovery. This study evaluated the efficacy of the , a bilateral arm-training device, in improving upper-limb impairment in patients with chronic stroke. Eighteen participants were randomly assigned to two groups: a device group ( = 9), using the ; and a conventional physiotherapy group ( = 9). Both groups performed six bilateral upper-limb exercises (32 repetitions each) three times per week for eight weeks. Participants were further classified into mild spasticity ( = 5) and moderate-to-severe spasticity ( = 4) subgroups. The primary outcome was motor impairment, assessed using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the Upper Extremity (FMA-UE). Secondary outcomes included spasticity, measured by the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and daily functional use of the arm, assessed with the Motor Activity Log (MAL). Both groups showed significant improvements in FMA-UE scores and overall arm movement. The conventional group demonstrated additional gains in hand and wrist function and coordination. Notably, in the moderate-to-severe spasticity subgroup, the device group exhibited improvements in upper-limb movement and a trend toward reduced spasticity. These findings suggest that the Arm Booster may support motor recovery, encourage the use of the affected arm, improve movement control, and provide an efficient means for patients to exercise more frequently on their own.
中风后的上肢功能障碍会显著影响患者的生活质量，需要有效的康复策略。康复设备在促进运动恢复方面起着至关重要的作用。本研究评估了一种双侧手臂训练设备——手臂助力器，对改善慢性中风患者上肢功能障碍的疗效。18名参与者被随机分为两组：设备组（n = 9），使用手臂助力器；传统物理治疗组（n = 9）。两组均每周进行三次双侧上肢练习（每次32次重复），共持续八周。参与者进一步分为轻度痉挛亚组（n = 5）和中度至重度痉挛亚组（n = 4）。主要结局指标为运动功能障碍，采用上肢Fugl-Meyer评估量表（FMA-UE）进行评估。次要结局指标包括痉挛程度，采用改良Ashworth量表（MAS）进行测量，以及手臂的日常功能使用情况，通过运动活动日志（MAL）进行评估。两组的FMA-UE评分和整体手臂运动均有显著改善。传统治疗组在手部和腕部功能及协调性方面有额外的改善。值得注意的是，在中度至重度痉挛亚组中，设备组在上肢运动方面有所改善，且有痉挛减轻的趋势。这些研究结果表明，手臂助力器可能有助于运动恢复，鼓励使用患侧手臂，改善运动控制，并为患者提供一种能让他们更频繁自主锻炼的有效方式。
