Robot-assisted Rehabilitation Using Multiple Types of Hybrid Assistive Limb for Acute Stroke Patients

摘要

Neurorehabilitation for acute stroke patients is essential for functional recovery and better prognosis. An exoskeleton-type robot, the “hybrid assistive limb” (HAL), has been developed for post-stroke care. Three types of HAL robots are currently available: bilateral leg type, single leg type, and single joint type. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of a neurorehabilitation approach using multiple types of HAL robots in acute stroke patients with hemiparesis. The Brunnstrom stage scores and the modified Rankin scale (mRS) were used as outcome measures. These scales were evaluated when the HAL robots were introduced and patients were transferred to another hospital. Fourteen stroke patients (seven men, seven women; six ischemic stroke cases, eight hemorrhagic stroke cases) treated at Fukuoka University hospital were evaluated during the period between October 2013 and August 2015. The mean age of the cohort was 57.8 ± 11.0 years, and the patients underwent a total of 13.7 ± 7.9 HAL sessions. Brunnstrom stage and mRS scores were significantly improved after rehabilitation (p < 0.05). The present study showed that our neurorehabilitation approach using multiple types of HAL robots in stroke patients may be useful. We advocate that the rehabilitation approach should be tailored for each patient at various levels of recovery.