Effects of an upper limb robot-mediated therapy on paretic upper limb in chronic hemiparetic subjects: A biomechanical and EEG-based approach for functional assessment

During the last decade, different robotic devices have been developed for motor rehabilitation of stroke survivors. These devices have been shown to offer therapeutic benefits and improve functional motor outcomes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of a robot-mediated therapy on the upper limb in chronic hemiparetic subjects. An innovative method for the upper limb functional assessment was developed: it is based on the integrated analysis of (i) quantitative parameters computed from EEG signals, (ii) kinematic and dynamic data recorded during the execution of planar reaching movements and (iii) the traditional clinical assessment scales. Preliminary results show the potential effectiveness of the proposed method, which can contribute to quantitatively evaluate the effects of a robot-mediated therapy on motor recovery, in terms of upper limb impairment and cortical activation in chronic hemiparetic subjects.