Effectiveness of Robot-assisted Rehabilitation in Persons With Stroke

Box and Block Test is composed of a wooden box divided in two compartments by a partition and 150 blocks. The BBT administration consists of asking the client to move, one by one, the maximum number of blocks from one compartment of a box to another of equal size, within 60 seconds. The box should be oriented lengthwise and placed at the client's midline, with the compartment holding the blocks oriented towards the hand being tested. In order to practice and register baseline scores, the test should begin with the unaffected upper limb.

Motor evoked potential (MEP) is recorded from abductor pollicis brevis muscles following direct transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of motor cortex. All TMS is delivered with the participant seated upright on the chair. Both passive and active conditions, participants are instructed to relax their one hand in the seated position. TMS is delivered over the motor cortex (M1) using a concave double cone coil (Magstim Co., United Kingdom) attached to a BiStim magnetic stimulator (Magstim Co., United Kingdom). To locate the optimal site, stimuli are delivered over various points along the M1. The optimal site is the location on the M1 that evoked the greatest MEP amplitude in abductor pollicis brevis muscles. The onset latency and onset to peak amplitude will be assessed.

Purdue Pegboard Test is composed of a board with pins, collars and washers. The board contains two parallel rows with 25 holes in each row and the pins, collars and washers are located in cups at the top of the board. Four subtests constitute the Purdue Pegboard test. In the first three the subject has, within 30 seconds, to place the maximum number of pins: first with the dominated hand, then with the other hand and finally with both hands simultaneously (symmetric task). In the last subtest the subject uses alternate hands in order to make assemblies consisting of pins, collars and washers, in a 60-second period. The score on the two first pins subtests is the number of pins inserted in the holes. The number of pairs of pins constitutes the score on the third subtest and finally the assembly score consists of the number of pins, collars and washers assembled. Another score is deduced by adding the scores obtained in the first three subtests (right hand + left hand + both hands).

Modified Ashworth scale (MAS) measures resistance during passive soft-tissue stretching and is used as a simple measure of spasticity. Scoring is recorded as follows: 0: No increase in muscle tone Slight increase in muscle tone, manifested by a catch and release or by minimal resistance at the end of the range of motion when the affected part(s) is moved in flexion or extension 1+: Slight increase in muscle tone, manifested by a catch, followed by minimal resistance throughout the remainder (less than half) of the Range of motion (ROM) More marked increase in muscle tone through most of the ROM, but affected part(s) easily moved Considerable increase in muscle tone, passive movement difficult Affected part(s) rigid in flexion or extension

Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper extremity is used to measure upper-limb recovery in stroke rehabilitation studies.The scale has 8 items ranging from upper extremity to coordination/speed. Each item further comprises components, with a total of 33. Scoring is done on a 3-point ordinal scale ranges from 0 (no performance) to 2 (faultless performance). The total score range from 0 (no motor function) to 66 (good motor recovery).