Using an upper extremity exoskeleton for semi-autonomous exercise during inpatient neurological rehabilitation- a pilot study.

Only nine patients were analysed, and one of them was in the chronic phase, so the sample is small and mixed. There was no control group, so improvements cannot be ascribed to the additional exercises. All patients also received conventional inpatient neurorehabilitation, including occupational therapy, upper extremity circuit training, SAEBOflex, bimanual coordination exercises, and functional electrical stimulation; the contribution of the exoskeleton cannot be separated. Transport from ward to treatment room was a major feasibility problem, and one patient was excluded because of it. Patients used only about 55% of offered sessions, mainly because they were too fatigued from the regular program. Patients rated the training on a visual analogue scale, and the paper did not test whether the device caused functional gains.

The supplied text does not state funding or conflicts of interest. Hocoma AG developed the self-training module used with the ArmeoSpring.

Do not read the shoulder-force and proximal arm gains as proof that the exoskeleton works. The patients also received conventional neurorehabilitation, including occupational therapy, upper extremity circuit training, SAEBOflex, bimanual coordination exercises, and functional electrical stimulation, and there was no control group.