Analyses of Symmetric Force Output for Upper Limbs Motor Recovery in Strokes

• Main Authors: Chi-Pang Lu, 盧紀邦
• Other Authors: Shun-Hwa Wei
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/18286385484779382943

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 復健科技輔具研究所 === 95 === Background: Overcoming chronic hemiparesis from a cerebrovascular accident(CVA)can be challenging for many patients, and motor recovery of upper extremity function is one of the most important rehabilitation programs because it critically influences independence and activities of daily living of CVA patients. Performing bilateral symmetric tasks serves to normalize transcallosal inhibitory influences, facilitate the motor output from the damaged hemisphere and increase the descending motor command. It might increase signal computation between two hemispheres and has been believed for obtaining much more outcome effects in neural plasticity for CVA patient. Scholars had suggested that behavior of upper limb’s symmetric force output show signal computation between two hemispheres direct, which could be an adaptable mode for evaluating the motor recovery of CVA patients. Purpose: Purpose of this study was (1) to develop a method for evaluating behavior of upper limb’s symmetric force output and (2) to compare performance difference among three varied stroke recovery stages. Methods and materials: A system for measuring bilaterally symmetric manual force output was developed. In this system, two force transducers were installed in a bilateral manual pulley system. Each load cell was connected with cable and loaded weight. So, user can easily allowed his or her hand freely control the pulley system. DAQ hardware was used to collect load cell signal and LabVIEW software was used to compute force output behavior. In order to confirm clinical effect, present study also performed clinical experiment. Symmetric index (SI) was designed in this study for calculating behavior of upper limb’s symmetric force output. Twenty-five strokes were invited in this study. They were categorized into several groups according to their levels of Fugl-Meyer motor assessment (FMA) result. One-way ANOVA associated with Scheffe multiple comparisons were used to exam inter-group differences. Results: Present study successively built-up a system for measuring upper limb’s force output. SI values also could be used to evaluate upper limb’s symmetric force output. Results showed a tendency among three tested groups. Group with high FMA scale had higher SI value. In statistical comparison, group with highest FMA scale had significantly (p<0.05) larger SI value than group with lowest one. Discussion and conclusion: Present study mainly developed a system for evaluating stroke upper limb’s motor recovery status. Evaluating SI value of upper limb’s symmetric force output might be a useful method. Several limitation in present study included system hardware and inadequate sample size. To confirm present study findings, future study should solve above problems.