Evaluation of Robot Assisted Neuro-Rehabilitation

After obtaining informed consent, participants will undergo 3 sessions of baseline testing using upper extremity motor assessments of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, thumb and grip. Upper extremity kinematic and strength testing will be performed with the rehabilitation robots in measurement mode. The rehabilitation robot modules include the wrist, the planar (shoulder-elbow), and alternating wrist and shoulder-elbow robot. These robotic devices are cleared for marketing as a registered medical device under U.S. FDA regulations and are listed with the FDA both as an evaluation devices and as therapy devices. Patients will be randomized to receive 12 weeks of robotic therapy sessions or 12 weeks of robot therapy combined with transition to task therapy. Study interventions will occur 3 times a week for 12 weeks. Robot therapy will consist of a progression through three robot modules: wrist, planar, and alternating wrist and shoulder-elbow robot. The progression will be sequential with four weeks of training on each robotic device. All participants will complete a motor activity log during this intervention phase. TMS is being used for physiological measurement and evaluations will be conducted with each participant at baseline, week one, week five, eight, and final. TMS will also occur during the follow-up on week twenty-four. Disability and depression questionnaires, upper extremity measures and evaluations of functional performance will be conducted during the study at baseline, and at training completion (visit 36). Patients will return twelve weeks after the end of the training period to determine whether any observed improvements persist.