Robot-Aided Systems for Improving the Assessment of Upper Limb Spasticity: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Spasticity is a motor disorder that causes stiffness or tightness of the muscles and can interfere with normal movement, speech, and gait. Traditionally, the spasticity assessment is carried out by clinicians using standardized procedures for objective evaluation. However, these procedures are manually performed and, thereby, they could be influenced by the clinician’s subjectivity or expertise. The automation of such traditional methods for spasticity evaluation is an interesting and emerging field in neurorehabilitation. One of the most promising approaches is the use of robot-aided systems. In this paper, a systematic review of systems focused on the assessment of upper limb (UL) spasticity using robotic technology is presented. A systematic search and review of related articles in the literature were conducted. The chosen works were analyzed according to the morphology of devices, the data acquisition systems, the outcome generation method, and the focus of intervention (assessment and/or training). Finally, a series of guidelines and challenges that must be considered when designing and implementing fully-automated robot-aided systems for the assessment of UL spasticity are summarized.

Rehabilitación robótica en espasticidad de mano y muñeca

“…El presente estudio tiene la limitación de contar con una muestra pequeña de cinco (5) pacientes. Sin embargo, a diferencia de otros estudios relacionados con neurorehabilitación robótica [12][13][14][15][16][17][18] , posee la fortaleza de haberse realizado en pacientes con UMNS de diferente etiología, con tiempos de evolución prolongados, con espasticidad en estadios avanzados (ver Tabla 1) y con el uso innovador de un exoesqueleto robótico diseñado para rehabilitación en el hogar.…”

“…La mayoría de estudios se han enfocado en la rehabilitación funcional de pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular. La información referente a rehabilitación robótica de la espasticidad es limitada y está relacionada con la espasticidad en fases tempranas del accidente cerebrovascular [12][13][14][15][16][17][18] .…”

Design of a Data Glove for Assessment of Hand Performance Using Supervised Machine Learning

“…The need for automated assessment and rehabilitation has been highlighted in recent studies [23][24][25]. Automated assessment systems offer a multitude of benefits to patient and physician alike, and they are expected to become a complementary tool for clinical use.…”

Research on mechanical optimization methods of cable-driven lower limb rehabilitation robot

“…The global aging population has been increasing [1], and there is a high incidence of stroke, hemiplegia, and hemiplegia in the aging population [2,3]. In addition, there are other reasons (e.g., natural disasters, traffic accidents, etc.)…”