Applying Robotics in a Clinical Rehabilitation Setting for Upper Limb Neurological Impairment

The use of robotic devices in clinical rehabilitation settings has seen an explosion in the last 10 years. The purpose of this article is to describe the perspectives of therapists and administrators who are using and supporting the use of robotic devices for upper limb training in a clinical rehabilitation setting. In addition, this article addresses methods to establish best practices and measure outcomes associated with the robotic devices in a clinical, rather than research, setting. Overall, therapists and administrators who have experience using robotic devices in a clinical rehabilitation setting felt that robotic devices pose many opportunities for rehabilitation. First, these devices show promise as a potentially effective adjunct to existing therapy programs, particularly for individuals with severe upper limb neurological impairment. Clients are highly motivated to use the devices and are potentially able to obtain higher frequency and consistency of upper limb practice during their rehabilitation than with other intervention approaches. Second, robotic devices offer a potentially standard and repeatable intervention that can be used to examine outcomes of clinical rehabilitation programs. Finally, robotic devices could advance the science of rehabilitation by providing a platform for studying motor learning after upper limb neurological impairment. The clinical rehabilitation environment provides a good venue for studying the effectiveness of robotic devices in promoting motor recovery, providing that we establish guidelines to ensure consistency in the implementation and measurement of outcomes in these programs.