Life, 2023 · DOI: 10.3390/life13020252 · Published: January 17, 2023
Stroke and spinal cord injury can cause disability. Robot-assisted training (RAT) is used in rehabilitation. This review looks at whether combining RAT with therapies that reduce spasticity improves functional recovery. The review looked at studies that used RAT and antispasticity therapy to help patients recover function and reduce spasticity. Five randomized controlled trials were reviewed. The review found that combined therapy can improve lower limb function but might not reduce spasticity in the upper or lower limbs. More research is needed to confirm these findings.
Combined therapy (RAT and antispasticity) may be considered to improve lower limb function in patients with chronic stroke or SCI.
Additional high-quality RCTs are required to confirm the benefits of combined therapy on functional recovery and spasticity reduction.
Future studies should standardize the selection of robotic devices and training protocols, employ high-quality study designs, and enroll patients within the golden period of intervention.