Background. The sequence of establishing proximal stability or function before facilitation of the distal body part has long been recognized in stroke rehabilitation practice but lacks scientific evidence. This study plans to examine the effects of proximal priority robotic priming and impairment-oriented training (PRI) and distal priority robotic priming and impairment-oriented training (DRI).~Methods. This is a single-blind randomized comparative efficacy study involving 40 participants with chronic stroke. Participants will be randomized into PRI or DRI groups and receive 18 intervention sessions (90 min/d, 3 d/wk for 6 weeks). The Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity subscale, Medical Research Council Scale, Revised Nottingham Sensory Assessment, and Wolf Motor Function Test will be administered at baseline, after treatment, and at the 3-month follow-up. Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance and the Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detector Method will be used to examine the comparative efficacy and predictors of outcome, respectively, after PRI and DRI.
This is a single-blind randomized comparative efficacy study involving 40 participants with chronic stroke. Participants will be randomized into proximal priority robotic group or distal priority robotic group and receive 18 intervention sessions (90 min/d, 3 d/wk for 6 weeks). The Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity subscale, Medical Research Council Scale, Revised Nottingham Sensory Assessment, and Wolf Motor Function Test will be administered at baseline, after treatment, and at the 3-month follow-up. Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance and the Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detector Method will be used to examine the comparative efficacy and predictors of outcome, respectively, after intervention.