The home stroke rehabilitation and monitoring system trial: a randomized controlled trial

RationaleBecause many individuals poststroke lack access to the quality and intensity of rehabilitation to improve upper extremity motor function, a home-based robotic-assisted upper extremity rehabilitation device is being paired with an individualized home exercise program.Aims/HypothesisThe primary aim of this project is to determine the effectiveness of robotic-assisted home therapy compared with a home exercise program on upper extremity motor recovery and health-related quality of life for stroke survivors in rural and underserved locations. The secondary aim is to explore whether initial degree of motor function of the upper limb may be a factor in predicting the extent to which patients with stroke may be responsive to a home therapy approach. We hypothesize that the home exercise program intervention, when enhanced with robotic-assisted therapy, will result in significantly better outcomes in motor function and quality of life.DesignA total of 96 participants within six-months of a single, unilat...