Effects of newly developed compact robot-aided upper extremity training systems (NEURO-X®) in patients with stroke: A pilot study

Objective: Robot-assisted rehabilitation therapy of the upper extremity after stroke has been studied widely; however, robotic devices remain expensive and bulky. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a newly developed, compact upper extremity training system (Neuro-X®) in patients with chronic stroke. Design: Pilot study. Subjects: Fifteen patients with hemiplegia. Methods: Chronic patients with stroke underwent upper extremity training using a newly developed upper extremity training system (Neuro-X®; Apsun Inc., Seoul, Korea). Patients were evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Hand Function Test (HFT), Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and Korean Mini-Mental Status Evaluation (K-MMSE). The assessment started with “pre 1 evaluation” (A₁), followed by repeated “pre 2 evaluation” (A₂) after 6 weeks without receiving any treatment, in order to generate repeated baseline data. After the A₂ evaluation, upper extremity training was performed for 6 weeks. Post-training evaluation (B) was performed after treatment. Obtained data (A₁–A₂–B) were compared. Results: During the non-intervention phase (A₁ to A₂), no significant changes were found in the aforementioned evaluations. However, in the intervention phase (A₂ to B), results of the FMA and HFT, and K-MMSE scores, except the MAS score, increased significantly (p<0.05). Conclusion: The Neuro-X® training system improves functioning of the upper extremity and cognition in patients with stroke after 6 weeks of training.