Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fingers'
positions
Training
mode
EMG
signals
strength
Sliders
Fingers
force
Figure 6.10
Graphical user interface of the hand rehabilitation robot.
as close as possible. Fingers force and EMG signals strength were displayed at the
bottom as well.
6.4 PILOT CLINICAL EVALUATION OF HAND FUNCTIONS OF
ELDERLY AND STROKE SUBJECTS
Five elderly subjects and five chronic stroke subjects were recruited in this pilot
study. Both groups had 4 male and 1 female participants. The mean age of healthy
elderly subjects was 67.2
3.6 years (range from 62 to 72 years old) while the mean
age of chronic stroke subjects was 50.2
±
12.9 years (range from 35 to 64 years old).
Table 6.1
summarizes the basic information of the elderly and stroke subjects and
clinical assessment scores measured of the stroke subjects before the clinical trial.
The assessments used were the Upper Extremities Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-
UE) for wrist and hand and the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT). The subject
selection criteria are not having any cognitive, visual or attention deficits that
would prevent them to follow the instructions or procedures. Both groups would
use the right hand for training which implied the impaired hand for the stroke
subject is on the same side too. There should be some residual active wrist and
subject should be at least 1 year and resulted from a single unilateral lesion only.
This study was reviewed and approved by the human ethics committee of the
local university and all subjects were informed with the experiment protocol and
consents were requested.
±
Tab l e 6 . 1
(a) Elderly subjects basic information (b) Stroke subjects and clinical assessment
scores.
No
(a)
Male/
Female
Age
No
(b)
Male/
Female
Age
Lesion site
ARAT
FMA.W/H
E1 M
68
S1 M
39
L cerebral cortex
27
9
E2
F
62
S2
F
35
L basal ganglia
1
3
E3 M
72
S3 M
64
L basal ganglia
19
8
E4 M
67
S4 M
52
L cerebral cortex
28
14
E5 M
67
S5 M
61
L basal ganglia
7
8
