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S. Kumaran D1, GA Swathi1, R. Raja1, N. Nayak1, S. Ali A1
1Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Department of Physiotherapy, Manipal, India
Background: Stroke leads to a wide range of upper limb impairment, activity limitation, and participation restriction. However, most of the people with stroke have insufficient movement post-stroke to perform the activities and are incapable of performing intensive functional repetitive task training. A new low-cost gaming device called ArmAble™ which is a non-immersive, interactive arm rehabilitation device designed to enable and encourage upper limb function with minimal therapist assistance following stroke exists.
Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effect of a novel, functional, gamified arm rehabilitation program using ArmAble™ on upper limb motor function and activity in people with stroke.
Methods: In this pilot interventional study, a total number of six participants with sub-acute stroke, aged between 18 and 80 years, of either gender were included. Study participants received intensive, gamified upper limb rehabilitation provided using Arm Able™ for a minimum of 45 min to 1 hour along with conventional therapy (45 min to 1 hour) for five days a week for a period of two weeks duration. Upper limb function using the Fugl Meyer assessment (FMA) for upper extremity and activity using Action research arm test (ARAT) was measured between pre and post-intervention. Distance covered by upper extremity using the device also was measured.
Results: The mean age of six male study participants was 62.3±7.6 years with a median post-stroke duration of 3.5 (1.75, 63.0) Months. There was an improvement in the FMA scores which is not statistically significant [Pre-intervention: 25.0 (6.0, 51.0); Post-intervention: 27.5 (19.5, 58.5); p-value: 0.068]. However, we noticed a statistically significant difference between the pre and post ARAT scores [Pre-intervention: 7.5 (0, 39.5); Post-intervention: 21.0 (3.0, 52.25); p-value: 0.043]. The distance covered by the participants’ ranges from 1386.693 m to 5607.278 m.
Conclusion(s): This pilot study provided preliminary evidence for a novel, low cost, functional game-based arm rehabilitation on upper extremity function in people with stroke. Large scale randomized clinical trial is underway by the investigators to ascertain these preliminary findings.
Implications: A novel, low cost functional gamified rehabilitation provided through ArmAble™ makes the therapy more intensive, repetitive, motivating, and fun-based and influences the upper extremity motor function in people with stroke living in low resource settings.
Funding, acknowledgements: The study was funded by BeAble Health Pvt Ltd, Center for Healthcare Entrepreneurship, Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad, India
Keywords: upper limb, hemiplegia, gamified rehabilitation
Topic: Neurology: stroke
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: Kasturba Medical College and Kasturba Hospital, Manipal
Committee: Institutional Ethics Committee
Ethics number: IEC: 661/2019
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
