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Bernal-Jiménez JJ, Polonio-López B, Sanz-García A, Martín-Conty JL, Lerín-Calvo A, Segura-Fragoso A, Martín-Rodríguez F, Cantero-Garlito PA, Corregidor-Sánchez AI, Mordillo-Mateos L. Is the Combination of Robot-Assisted Therapy and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Useful for Upper Limb Motor Recovery? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:337. [PMID: 38338223 PMCID: PMC10855329 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12030337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Stroke is the third leading cause of disability in the world, and effective rehabilitation is needed to improve lost functionality post-stroke. In this regard, robot-assisted therapy (RAT) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are promising rehabilitative approaches that have been shown to be effective in motor recovery. In the past decade, they have been combined to study whether their combination produces adjuvant and greater effects on stroke recovery. The aim of this study was to estimate the effectiveness of the combined use of RATs and tDCS in the motor recovery of the upper extremities after stroke. After reviewing 227 studies, we included nine randomised clinical trials (RCTs) in this study. We analysed the methodological quality of all nine RCTs in the meta-analysis. The analysed outcomes were deficit severity, hand dexterity, spasticity, and activity. The addition of tDCS to RAT produced a negligible additional benefit on the effects of upper limb function (SMD -0.09, 95% CI -0.31 to 0.12), hand dexterity (SMD 0.12, 95% CI -0.22 to 0.46), spasticity (SMD 0.04, 95% CI -0.24 to 0.32), and activity (SMD 0.66, 95% CI -1.82 to 3.14). There is no evidence of an additional effect when adding tDCS to RAT for upper limb recovery after stroke. Combining tDCS with RAT does not improve upper limb motor function, spasticity, and/or hand dexterity. Future research should focus on the use of RAT protocols in which the patient is given an active role, focusing on the intensity and dosage, and determining how certain variables influence the success of RAT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J. Bernal-Jiménez
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.J.B.-J.); (A.S.-G.); (J.L.M.-C.); (A.S.-F.); (P.A.C.-G.); (A.-I.C.-S.); (L.M.-M.)
- Technological Innovation Applied to Health Research Group (ITAS Group), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of de Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
| | - Begoña Polonio-López
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.J.B.-J.); (A.S.-G.); (J.L.M.-C.); (A.S.-F.); (P.A.C.-G.); (A.-I.C.-S.); (L.M.-M.)
- Technological Innovation Applied to Health Research Group (ITAS Group), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of de Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
| | - Ancor Sanz-García
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.J.B.-J.); (A.S.-G.); (J.L.M.-C.); (A.S.-F.); (P.A.C.-G.); (A.-I.C.-S.); (L.M.-M.)
- Technological Innovation Applied to Health Research Group (ITAS Group), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of de Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
| | - José L. Martín-Conty
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.J.B.-J.); (A.S.-G.); (J.L.M.-C.); (A.S.-F.); (P.A.C.-G.); (A.-I.C.-S.); (L.M.-M.)
- Technological Innovation Applied to Health Research Group (ITAS Group), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of de Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
| | - Alfredo Lerín-Calvo
- Neruon Neurobotic S.L., 28015 Madrid, Spain;
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University La Salle, 28023 Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Segura-Fragoso
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.J.B.-J.); (A.S.-G.); (J.L.M.-C.); (A.S.-F.); (P.A.C.-G.); (A.-I.C.-S.); (L.M.-M.)
- Technological Innovation Applied to Health Research Group (ITAS Group), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of de Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
| | - Francisco Martín-Rodríguez
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Valladolid, 47005 Valladolid, Spain;
- Advanced Life Support, Emergency Medical Services (SACYL), 47007 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Pablo A. Cantero-Garlito
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.J.B.-J.); (A.S.-G.); (J.L.M.-C.); (A.S.-F.); (P.A.C.-G.); (A.-I.C.-S.); (L.M.-M.)
- Technological Innovation Applied to Health Research Group (ITAS Group), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of de Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
| | - Ana-Isabel Corregidor-Sánchez
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.J.B.-J.); (A.S.-G.); (J.L.M.-C.); (A.S.-F.); (P.A.C.-G.); (A.-I.C.-S.); (L.M.-M.)
- Technological Innovation Applied to Health Research Group (ITAS Group), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of de Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
| | - Laura Mordillo-Mateos
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.J.B.-J.); (A.S.-G.); (J.L.M.-C.); (A.S.-F.); (P.A.C.-G.); (A.-I.C.-S.); (L.M.-M.)
- Technological Innovation Applied to Health Research Group (ITAS Group), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of de Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
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Lambercy O, Lehner R, Chua K, Wee SK, Rajeswaran DK, Kuah CWK, Ang WT, Liang P, Campolo D, Hussain A, Aguirre-Ollinger G, Guan C, Kanzler CM, Wenderoth N, Gassert R. Neurorehabilitation From a Distance: Can Intelligent Technology Support Decentralized Access to Quality Therapy? Front Robot AI 2021; 8:612415. [PMID: 34026855 PMCID: PMC8132098 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.612415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Current neurorehabilitation models primarily rely on extended hospital stays and regular therapy sessions requiring close physical interactions between rehabilitation professionals and patients. The current COVID-19 pandemic has challenged this model, as strict physical distancing rules and a shift in the allocation of hospital resources resulted in many neurological patients not receiving essential therapy. Accordingly, a recent survey revealed that the majority of European healthcare professionals involved in stroke care are concerned that this lack of care will have a noticeable negative impact on functional outcomes. COVID-19 highlights an urgent need to rethink conventional neurorehabilitation and develop alternative approaches to provide high-quality therapy while minimizing hospital stays and visits. Technology-based solutions, such as, robotics bear high potential to enable such a paradigm shift. While robot-assisted therapy is already established in clinics, the future challenge is to enable physically assisted therapy and assessments in a minimally supervized and decentralized manner, ideally at the patient’s home. Key enablers are new rehabilitation devices that are portable, scalable and equipped with clinical intelligence, remote monitoring and coaching capabilities. In this perspective article, we discuss clinical and technological requirements for the development and deployment of minimally supervized, robot-assisted neurorehabilitation technologies in patient’s homes. We elaborate on key principles to ensure feasibility and acceptance, and on how artificial intelligence can be leveraged for embedding clinical knowledge for safe use and personalized therapy adaptation. Such new models are likely to impact neurorehabilitation beyond COVID-19, by providing broad access to sustained, high-quality and high-dose therapy maximizing long-term functional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Lambercy
- Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.,Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rea Lehner
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.,Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karen Chua
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Advanced Rehabilitation Therapeutics, Tan Tock Seng Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, Singapore, Singapore.,Rehabilitation Research Institute Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Seng Kwee Wee
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Advanced Rehabilitation Therapeutics, Tan Tock Seng Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Deshan Kumar Rajeswaran
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Advanced Rehabilitation Therapeutics, Tan Tock Seng Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Christopher Wee Keong Kuah
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Advanced Rehabilitation Therapeutics, Tan Tock Seng Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wei Tech Ang
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.,Rehabilitation Research Institute Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Phyllis Liang
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.,Rehabilitation Research Institute Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Domenico Campolo
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.,School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Asif Hussain
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.,School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Articares Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Cuntai Guan
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.,School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Christoph M Kanzler
- Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.,Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nicole Wenderoth
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.,Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roger Gassert
- Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.,Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
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Fasoli SE, Adans-Dester CP. A Paradigm Shift: Rehabilitation Robotics, Cognitive Skills Training, and Function After Stroke. Front Neurol 2019; 10:1088. [PMID: 31681154 PMCID: PMC6804158 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Robot-assisted therapy for upper extremity (UE) impairments post-stroke has yielded modest gains in motor capacity and little evidence of improved UE performance during activities of daily living. A paradigm shift that embodies principles of motor learning and exercise dependent neuroplasticity may improve robot therapy outcomes by incorporating active problem solving, salience of trained tasks, and strategies to facilitate the transfer of acquired motor skills to use of the paretic arm and hand during everyday activities. Objective: To pilot and test the feasibility of a novel therapy protocol, the Active Learning Program for Stroke (ALPS), designed to complement repetitive, robot-assisted therapy for the paretic UE. Key ALPS ingredients included training in the use of cognitive strategies (e.g., STOP, THINK, DO, CHECK) and a goal-directed home action plan (HAP) to facilitate UE self-management and skill transfer. Methods: Ten participants with moderate impairments in UE function >6 months after stroke received eighteen 1-h treatment sessions 2–3/x week over 6–8 weeks. In addition to ALPS training, individuals were randomly assigned to either robot-assisted therapy (RT) or robot therapy and task-oriented training (RT-TOT) to trial whether the inclusion of TOT reinforced participants' understanding and implementation of ALPS strategies. Results: Statistically significant group differences were found for the upper limb subtest of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-UE) at discharge and one-month follow-up favoring the RT group. Analyses to examine overall effects of the ALPS protocol in addition to RT and RT-TOT showed significant and moderate to large effects on the FMA-UE, Motor Activity Log, Wolf Motor Function Test, and hand portion of the Stroke Impact Scale. Conclusion: The ALPS protocol was the first to extend cognitive strategy training to robot-assisted therapy. The intervention in this development of concept pilot trial was feasible and well-tolerated, with good potential to optimize paretic UE performance following robot-assisted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E Fasoli
- Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Catherine P Adans-Dester
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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