Robot enhanced stroke therapy optimizes rehabilitation (RESTORE): a pilot study.
Alexa B Keeling, Mark Piitz, Jennifer A Semrau and 3 others
PMID 33478563WHAT IT FOUND
Nine patients with subacute stroke completed 10 days of robotic therapy on top of standard care.
They showed significant improvements in motor and function scores compared to baseline, while the control group showed minimal change.
Key findings
01The robotic therapy group showed significant increases in FMA UE, ARAT, and FIM scores after the intervention.
02The control group showed no significant changes in FMA UE or ARAT scores, though FIM improved.
03All participants in the robotic group completed the daily sessions with no dropouts or serious adverse events.
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 was a pilot with a small sample size (n=19) and no randomization; participants were matched by baseline scores. The control group received only standard care, while the intervention group received standard care plus an additional hour of therapy, so the benefit may be due to increased total therapy dose rather than the robot itself. There was no measure of patient engagement or dose-matched control group. Follow-up was only one day after the 10-day intervention, so long-term effects are unknown.
Declared interests
Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. No conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the robot itself caused the improvement. The robotic group received an extra hour of therapy daily compared to the control group, so the gains may reflect the higher total dose of rehabilitation rather than the specific technology.