Authors (including presenting author) :
Shu YW(1), Choi WK(1), Lee MK(1), Poon DWF(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Occupational Therapy Department, Prince of Wales Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Stroke rehabilitation
Keyword 2: :
Robotic glove
Keyword 3: :
Hand function
Introduction :
As the prevalence of strokes continues to rise, there is an increasing need for effective and labor-saving occupational therapy interventions in stroke rehabilitation. The lightweight and compact design of the soft robotic glove (SRG) allows therapists to easily apply it to daily functional tasks. Although the SRG is recognized for its benefits in subacute and chronic stroke patients, research into its effectiveness during the acute phase remains insufficient.
Objectives :
To investigate the effectiveness of the SRG on improving hand function in acute stroke patients.
Methodology :
In this randomized controlled trial, subjects were recruited from the acute stroke unit of Prince of Wales Hospital and assigned to a treatment or control group by simple randomization. Both groups underwent identical pre- and post-intervention assessments, which measured the grip strength of the affected hand and hand function by the Functional Test of Hemiplegic Upper Extremity (FTHUE) on Day 1 and Day 5, respectively. Patients with FTHUE levels 2 to 5 were included. From Day 2 to Day 5, the treatment group participated in daily training sessions using the SYREBO hand rehabilitation glove, while the control group received conventional hand function and ADL training.
Result & Outcome :
In the treatment group, grip strength significantly improved from a median of 2.0 kgf (interquartile range [IQR] 6.1) at pre intervention to 5.9 kgf (IQR 8.0) post intervention (p= 0.008). The FTHUE level increased from a median of 3 (IQR 2) to 4 (IQR 3) (p=0.014). In the control group, grip strength demonstrated a change from a median of 3.5 kgf (IQR 5.5) to 3.7 kgf (IQR 5.0) (p= 0.024). The FTHUE level remained at a median of 5, with the IQR shifting from 2 to 1 (p = 0.034). For post-intervention comparisons, no significant between-group differences were observed in grip strength or FTHUE level.
The result highlighted that the treatment group exhibited significant improvements in grip strength and overall upper-extremity functional performance, supporting the effectiveness of the intervention. The lack of between-group difference in the outcomes could be attributed to the small sample size. The findings indicated that although the treatment demonstrated potential benefits, future research with a larger sample size was recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of SRG in acute stroke rehabilitation.
