The use of the «Anika» rehabilitation glove in stroke: the potentials for the improvement of functional recovery

Background. Violation of fine motor skills in the hand is one of the most common causes of persistent loss of voluntary motor activity, reduced quality of life, social maladaptation and the inability to self-care in patients with ischemic stroke (IS). Objective. Evaluation of the effectiveness of bilateral use of the “Anika" rehabilitation glove in IS patients. Methods. 42 patients with impaired fine motor skills of the hand after primary right (19) and left (23) middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke (mean age - 60.9 years, disease duration - 6 to 12 months) were randomized into 2 groups: the main group (n=22) and control ones (n=20). The physical rehabilitation program for the main group of patients included 10 training sessions with the “Anika" rehabilitation glove (1 hour once a day for each arm, 2 weeks). The functional status of patients in both groups was assessed before and after the course of rehabilitation treatment using the Frenchay scale, the ARAT test, the “H" subsection of the MAS scale, the Nine-Hole Peg test, the Barthel index, the FIM scale, and Visual Analogue Scale in the presence of pain. Results. According to majority methods for assessing functional status, patients of the main group showed a statistically significant improvement compared to the control group, as well as a significant improvement in independence and activity in daily living. At the same time, the presence and severity of the pain syndrome was a factor that made it difficult and slowed down the recovery of fine motor skills of the hand. Conclusion. The bilateral use of innovative technologies with a biofeedback system in IS patients, in particular the “Anika" rehabilitation glove, improves the efficiency of the recovery process and the quality of life of such patients. When determining the algorithms of rehabilitation measures for IS patients, it is important to consider the presence and severity of pain.

ischemic stroke, neuroplasticity, sensorimotor integration, fine motor skills, “Anika" rehabilitation glove, rehabilitation