New technologies for upper limb rehabilitation after stroke

Details

Supervisors

Everard, Gauthier ; Declerck, Louise

Faculty

Faculté des sciences de la motricité

Degree label

Master [60] en kinésithérapie et réadaptation

Abstract

Objectives: Summarize the effects of new technologies on upper limb motor function and activity limitation in stroke patients and investigate a difference between new technologies. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane Library were used to find meta-analyses that compared a new technology to conventional therapy in upper limb rehabilitation of stroke patients. Methodological quality of articles was assessed with AMSTAR-2. Statistical analyses were conducted following the ICF model. Main results: From 2252 articles identified with databases, 14 meta-analyses were included in quantitative analysis. The statistical results showed that new technologies seem to have superior effects (p-value < 0.001) on upper limb motor function at post-treatment and at follow-up as well as on activity limitation compared with conventional therapy. More specifically, virtual reality had superior effects on body function and activity limitation (p-value < 0.001) compared with conventional therapy, as well as robot-assisted therapy that had superior effects on body function (p-value = 0.002) compared to conventional therapy. Telerehabilitation had similar effects in body function and activity limitation compared to conventional therapy (p-value = 0.12-0.25). Sub-analyses showed no difference between these new technologies. Authors' conclusion: New technologies have superior effects compared to conventional therapy and can be used as an intensive, repetitive and functional neurorehabilitation of the upper limb for stroke patients.