Do all sub acute stroke patients benefit from robot-assisted therapy? A retrospective study

PURPOSE: Upper limb robot-assisted rehabilitation is a highly intensive therapy, mainly recommended after stroke. Whether robotic therapy is suitable for subacute patients with severe impairments including cognitive disorders is unknown. This retrospective study explored factors impacting on motor performance achieved in a 16-session robotic training combined with standard rehabilitation. METHODS: Seventeen subacute inpatients (age 53 ± 18; 49 ± 26 days post-stroke) were assessed at baseline using upper extremity motor impairments scales, Functional Independence Measure, aphasia and neglect scores...