HandTutor^TM enhanced hand rehabilitation after stroke - a pilot study

Background and Purpose. This study assessed the potential therapeutic benefit of using HandTutor^TM in combination with traditional rehabilitation in a post-stroke sub-acute population. The study compares an experimental group receiving traditional therapy combined with HandTutor^TM treatment, against a control group receiving only traditional therapy. Method. An assessor-blinded, randomized controlled pilot trial, was conducted in the Reuth rehabilitation unit in Israel. Thirty-one stroke patients in the sub-acute phase, were randomly assigned to one of the two groups (experimental or control) in sets of three. The experimental group (n = 16) underwent a hand rehabilitation programme using the HandTutor^TM combined with traditional therapy. The control group (n = 15) received only traditional therapy. The treatment schedules for both groups were of similar duration and frequency. Improvements were evaluated using three indicators: 1) The Brunnström-Fugl-Meyer (FM) test, 2) the Box and Blocks (B&B) test and 3) improvement parameters as determined by the HandTutor^TM software. Results. Following 15 consecutive treatment sessions, a significant improvement was observed within the experimental group (95% confidence intervals) compared with the control group: B&B p = 0.015; FM p = 0.041, HandTutor^TM performance accuracy on x axis and performance accuracy on y axis p < 0.0003. Conclusion. The results from this pilot study support further investigation of the use of the HandTutor^TM in combination with traditional occupational therapy and physiotherapy during post stroke hand function rehabilitation.