Motor Performance Evaluation to Improve Patient's Compliance During Robot-Aided Rehabilitation

This paper presents the design of two robot devices for use in the rehabilitation of upper limb movements, and in motivating patients in executing the assigned motor tasks. In addition it presents a new evaluation metrics useful for assessing the compliance of patients treated by means of these robot-aided techniques. Two groups of chronic post-stroke patients were enrolled in a 3-week rehabilitation program including standard physical therapy plus treatment by means of two robot devices, respectively, for wrist and elbow-shoulder movements. The new evaluation metrics proposed is able to characterize the rate of improvement thus allowing a precise monitoring of the patient's recovery. It should allow the therapist to implement targeted rehabilitative strategies and promptly adjust them, where necessary