• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.13 no.7
• /
• pp.3023-3029
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the home-based virtual reality (VR) on upper extremity motor function in hemiparetic stroke patients. Two matched subjects with left hemiplegia were volunteered to participate in this study. One subject received the home-based VR whereas the other subject recovered a modified home-based constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT). Both interventions were given for 4 hours x 5 times a week for 4 weeks. Outcome measures included Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Motor Activity Log (MAL), and Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT). The VR-trained subject showed considerable improvement in all the tested motor functions when compared with the home-based CIMT. Specifically, the FMA measure demonstrated that the VR subject showed 17% enhancement whereas the CIMT subject showed 5% increase. Similarly, Amount of Use (AOU) and Quality of Movement (QOM) of the MAL scores of the VR subject showed 40% and 20% increase whereas the CIMT subject showed 0% and 20% increase, respectively. The WMFT scores of the VR subject and CIMT subject showed 20% increase. Our home-based VR was effective in upper extremity motor recovery of chronic hemiparetic patients even when compared with the well-established CIMT approach in stroke victims.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.33-42
• /
• 2013

Objective : The purpose of this study is to assess effects of Robot-assisted therapy on function of upper extremity in stroke patients. Method : A total of 11 patients suffered from stroke participated in this study. Inpatients of 4 people and outpatients of 7 people divided by 12 months conducted Robot-assisted therapy for 5~6 weeks. Therapists selected appropriate exercise mode to patients, and patients Patients performed the reaching exercise was repeated with looking monitor provided 3-dimensional feedback. Before and after treatment of upper extremity functions was compare by Wolf Motor Function(K-WMFT), Box & Block Test(BBT), Dynamometer, average execution time. Result : Grip power, K-WMFT, BBT, average performance times were promoting in all subjects, and only showed statistically significant changes in outpatients. But outpatients did not show statistically significant changes in inpatients. Conclusion : Robotic-assisted therapy in stroke patients have a positive impact on upper extremity function that could confirm that. In the future, Robots-assisted therapy is expected to be useful for stroke patients in the area of occupational therapy.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.5-20
• /
• 2013

Constraint Induced Movement Therapy(CIMT) is intense in that patient's unaffected arm is restrained for 90% of waking hours during a two-week period while they also participate in activity sessions using the affected arm for 6 hours/day. However CIMT showed that an issue for applying it to clinics of patients with stroke, and then modified constraint induced movement therapy(mCIMT) was designed to minimize the issue. Application on mCIMT for the patients has been studied in various ways. As a result, it has proved the effect on functional improvement of patients with stroke through methods such as MAL, FMA, WMFT, ARAT, FIM, SIS and so forth. It's considered that modified constraint induced movement therapy can be useful applied on clinical experiments of occupational therapy, as it is a way of treatment of upper extremity function, activities of daily living and an improvement of the quality of life for stroke patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.231-240
• /
• 2009

Purpose：The aim of this study was to determine the effect of active sling exercise on shoulder subluxation in hemiplegic patients. Methods：Twenty persons with shoulder subluxation were randomly divided into two groups; the experimental group(10 persons) and the control group(10 persons). Usual physical therapy and occupational therapy were applied in all groups in a day for 4 weeks. Additionally the experimental group was received 30 minutes sling active exercise (flexion, extention, adduction, abduction, intenal rotation, external rotation, horizontal adduction, horizontal abduction) for shoulder joint in a day for 4 weeks. I investigated the therapeutic effect of sling exercise through the Wolf motor function test (WMFT), Quantitative radiographic measurements and range of motion test at pre and post intervention period. Results：The passive range of motion was significantly increased in the experimental group compare with the control group. However, the active range of motion was no statistically significantly difference in both of the experimental and the control group. The level of WMFT was significantly decreased in the experimental group compared with control group. Although, there was no significantly difference the degree of the shoulder subluxation was more decreased in experimental group than control group. Conclusion：Taken together, these results suggest that sling exercise could be beneficial therapeutic method for hemiplegic shoulder. But to generalize it, more study and exercise program might be needed to confirm its availability.

• PNF and Movement
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.199-206
• /
• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a virtual upper extremity training program using the RAPAEL Smart Glove on upper extremity function in stroke survivors with chronic hemiparesis and to focus the training program development using the Smart Glove as a feasibility study. Methods: This study was conducted using a single group and pre-post test research design in the outpatient departments of local rehabilitation units. Ten chronic hemiparetic stroke survivors with a diagnosis of first stroke received therapeutic rehabilitation at the rehabilitation units. All the participants used a virtual reality program with the RAPAEL Smart Glove for 30 minutes per session 3 days a week over 8 weeks. They also received conventional occupational therapy with functional electrical stimulation for 40 minutes per session 3 days a week for 8 weeks as an additional therapy. To analyze the effects of this therapeutic intervention, four clinical measures, including the box-block test (BBT), the Wolf motor function test (WMFT), the trail-making score, the Jebsen Taylor hand function test (JTHFT), and grip strength, were used. Results: Upon completion of the intervention in week 8, all the participants demonstrated significant WMFT, JTT, BBT, grip strength, and trail-making score gains compared to the respective baselines at week 0. Conclusion: This study suggests that virtual upper extremity training using the RAPAEL Smart Glove has a reasonable and beneficial effects on upper extremity function in chronic hemiparetic stroke survivors.

• PNF and Movement
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.123-132
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The discovery of mirror neuron system may positively affect functional recovery; therefore, rehabilitation is needed that is practical for use in clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of action observation training on upper motor function in people who had suffered strokes. Methods: Three elderly patients with stroke, aged to years, were recruited from a stroke rehabilitation center. A nonconcurrent, multiple baseline subject approach was taken, with an A-B-A treatment single-subject experimental design, and the experiment was conducted for 3 weeks. The action observation training was repeated 5 times in 5 days during the intervention period. The arm function, including WMFT, BBT, and grip and pinch strength, was evaluated in each subject 5 times during the baseline period, the intervention period, and the baseline regression period. Results: The results of the evaluation for each subject were presented as mean values and video graphs. The WMFT scores of 2 subjects were improved during the intervention period in comparison with the baseline period, and this improvement was maintained even during the regression baseline period. The BBT and the grip and pinch strength were not improved. Conclusion: Based on these results, we suggest that the action observation training for 5 sessions was effective in improving upper limb function of stroke patients but was not effective in improving hand dexterity or grip and pinch strength.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.17-27
• /
• 2018

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of occupational therapy intervention using a fully immersive virtual reality device on the upper extremity function of patients with chronic stroke. Methods : This study used a single subject (ABA) design. The study subjects was a chronic stroke patient with left lateral deviation. Four baseline periods, 12 intervention periods, and 4 baseline regression periods were performed for a total of 20 sessions for 10 weeks. OT intervention with a fully immersive virtual reality device was used every 30 minutes. BBT and WMFT evaluations were performed at each session and the results were displayed in a line graph. Results : The patient's upper limb function has improved. During baseline recurrence, efficacy of treatment was confirmed after removal of intervention, but no significant changes were observed. Conclusion : It has been found that OT intervention with a fully immersive virtual reality device for upper limb function in chronic stroke patients is an effective intervention. However, the effectiveness of maintaining treatment is not important, so we need to develop an easy-to-use home intervention program.

• PNF and Movement
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.369-378
• /
• 2019

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of virtual reality-based task training (VRBTT) using a smart glove on upper extremity function and activity of daily living in stroke patients. Methods: Twenty-nine patients with chronic stroke disease were randomly allocated to two groups: the VRBTT group (n=14) and the control group (n=15). All patients received 30 minutes of standard occupational therapy, 5 times a week, for 8 weeks. The VRBTT group performed an additional 30 minutes of virtual reality-based rehabilitation training, 5 times a week, for 8 weeks. Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in upper extremity function, yielding an increase in FMA and K-WMFT (p<0.05). There was a more significant increase in the VRBTT group before and after interventions (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in MAS for the control group (p>0.05); however, there was a significant increase for the VRBTT group (p<0.05). In the activities of daily living, there was a significant difference in the values for K-MBI (p<0.05). In addition, both groups showed a significant increase for K-MBI and K-RNLI (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that VRBTT using smart gloves can have a more positive effect on upper extremity function and activities of daily living in stroke patients than conventional intervention methods. A variety of virtual reality-based contents and glove-shaped wearable devices will help stroke patients in rehabilitation clinics recover and return to society.