Robot-aided rehabilitation helps stroke patients move hands once again

Recovering from a stroke is a slow and challenging process, especially for people who are left with paralyzed limbs. To help patients in their recovery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital has introduced robots into its rehabilitation programs. The training gives patients a glove-like exoskeleton that moves their immobile hand, helping patients relearn specific movements. Doctors have found the robot aided therapy can enhance the effects of rehabilitation. Their findings have been published in the Journal of Visualized Experiments.

This is Ms. Chien. About a year ago, she suffered a stroke that paralyzed her left arm and leg. Her left hand was almost completely immobilized, making Ms. Chien due for a long-term rehabilitation program. But thanks to a robot incorporated in her rehab regime, she is already fully recovered. The technology is called Mirror Hand, and was introduced into treatments at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in 2019. It consists of two gloves: one is a robotic exoskeleton that fits over the affected hand and copies the motions of the patient''s healthy hand, which is equipped with a glove with movement sensors. The combination of occupational therapy with daily Mirror Hand sessions has allowed Ms. Chien to once again be able to raise her hand, open and close her fists and pick up and put down objects.

Ms. Chien
Patient
I had a stroke in June 2019 that left half of my body paralyzed. I couldn''t move my left hand and foot. I couldn''t move at all, so I could only lie in bed. If I wanted something, I had to either use my right hand or get someone else''s help. One month after I fell ill, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital asked me if I wanted to try this kind of rehabilitation program. At the beginning, I couldn''t raise my hand or open it. But I was discharged after just three months. Now, I''m back in the workplace, and I can raise my hands, open them, and hold and pick things up. My left hand can do almost everything my right hand can do.

Stephany Yang
Formosa News reporter
Patients recovering from strokes often face difficult challenges. It''s often a slow process to regain full strength and mobility in their hands. Chang Gung Memorial Hospital are using robotics to help stroke patients recover.

The glove has three modes: single-finger mode, five-finger mode and mirror-guided motion mode. The mirroring setting can help patients relearn and recover hand functions such as pinching, squeezing and grabbing.

Carl Chen
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
The traditional one, you do passive range of motion or things like that. The new one is more effective because you are applying the motion using the good hand to help the impaired hand. Your eyes can actually see that your hand is moving. Eventually, we want the impaired side of the brain to one day the link is back on and the patient is healthy again.

Dr. Carl Chen, the Director of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, says the golden period for rehabilitation is six months to one year after the stroke. The earlier the intervention begins, the higher the recovery rate. He says pairing traditional rehabilitation methods with robotic training can offer the best results.

Carl Chen
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
We do traditional first and then the robotic training, we add it on top of the traditional. It''s a multi-disciplinary thing. We want to have the best rehab training system for every individual patient of course.


Dr. Chen says the applications of robot-aided therapy are not just limited to stroke patients. He says people with spinal cord injuries and neurological diseases can also benefit from therapies using the Mirror Hand technology.