A robotic therapy device may help people regain strength and normal use of affected hands long after a stroke, researchers reported today at the American Stroke Association?s International Stroke Conference 2007.
?Most spontaneous improvement in function occurs in the first three months after a stroke and after that things tend to plateau,? said Steven C. Cramer, M.D., lead author of the study and associate professor in neurology, anatomy and neurobiology at the University of California, Irvine. ?Robot-assisted therapy may help rewire the brain and make weak limbs move better long afterwards.?
Robots may offer particular advantages in long-term therapy that requires intense, repetitive movement practice.
?Robots can consistently and precisely perform the same task without getting tired, record and adjust to the patient?s responses, and provide feedback and virtual reality games that keep people interested and motivated,? Cramer said.