Efficacy of a Bilateral Robotic Treatment in Chronic Patients

Efficacy and Neurophysiological Correlates of a Bilateral Robotic Treatment for the Upper Limbs in Patients With Chronic Stroke Outcomes

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate how manual dominance influences the effectiveness of bilateral robotic treatment in right-handed patients with chronic stroke.

Researchers will compare the outcome of a bilateral robotic treatment for the upper limbs in left vs right hemisphere lesions following stroke.

Participants will:

• perform a bilateral robotic treatment for the upper limb (15 sessions in three weeks) followed by 20-minutes standard manual rehabilitative sessions
• be evaluated before and after treatment with clinical scales, resting- state EEG and kinematic measurements

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects aged between 18 and 80 years, of either sex
• Subjects able to understand and provide, or have provided on their behalf, informed consent
• History of a single unilateral ischemic or hemorrhagic cerebrovascular event in the chronic phase (> 6 months)
• Subjects with mild to moderate functional impairment of the right or left upper limb (ability to perform antigravity active movements)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects with cognitive deficits that impair understanding of the required tasks (MMSE score corrected for age and education < 24/30)
• Subjects with severe visual deficits
• Subjects with upper limb spasticity preventing the use of robotic devices (spasticity measured using the Modified Ashworth Scale > 3)
• Inability or unwillingness to provide informed consent
• Left-handed subjects