Quantification of upper limb position sense using an exoskeleton and a virtual reality display.
Anne Deblock-Bellamy, Charles Sebiyo Batcho, Catherine Mercier and 1 others
PMID 29548326WHAT IT FOUND
A robot and virtual arm let 30 healthy adults identify the smallest elbow angle differences of 7.0 and 5.9 degrees.
Repeated scores were fair to good, but shifted slightly after one week, and only healthy adults were tested.
Key findings
01Thirty healthy adults completed two elbow position sense assessments, one week apart.
02Mean discrimination thresholds were 7.0 degrees in session 1 and 5.9 degrees in session 2.
03Test-retest reliability was fair to good, with an ICC of 0.47, a standard error of measurement of 1.5 degrees, and a mean difference of -1.1 degrees.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 30 healthy adults with a mean age of 24.6 years, so it does not show whether the protocol works in older adults or people after stroke. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling. Repeated scores showed a significant bias of -1.1 degrees and an ICC of 0.47, so reliability was fair to good rather than excellent. The assessment took 40-45 minutes and needs specialized equipment, space, and expertise. The protocol tested only one elbow joint in the horizontal plane, not real functional movement in three dimensions. Muscle activity was not monitored, so some participants may have helped the exoskeleton move. The protocol was not tested in stroke, and stroke-related visual, neglect, fatigue, or attention problems may make it difficult to use.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this exoskeleton and virtual reality protocol is ready for stroke assessment. It was tested only in 30 healthy young adults, took 40-45 minutes, and showed a significant test-retest bias.