Prolonged hospitalization in severe COVID-19 cases can lead to substantial muscle lossand functional deterioration. While rehabilitation is vital, conventional approachesencounter capacity constraints. Therefore, assessing the efficacy of robotic-assistedrehabilitation is crucial for post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome patients, aiming to improvemotor function and overall recovery. The study focuses on evaluating rehabilitationeffectiveness in individuals with upper-extremity impairment using a handexoskeleton-based robotic system.
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Device: Training with a Robotic Hand Exoskeleton
The rehabilitation program extended over six consecutive weeks. Each therapy session,
lasting 45 minutes, occurred four times per week, resulting in a total of 24 sessions.
Within each session, a total of six exercises, consisting of three passive exercises and
three bilateral exercises, were performed in an alternating manner. The exercises were
executed in the following sequence: 1) Bilateral hand opening and closing; 2) Passive
independent finger opening and closing; 3) Bilateral pinch; 4) Passive hand opening and
closing; 5) Bilateral hand opening and closing based on a VR-based game involving
squeezing an orange; 6) Passive pinch.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Over 30 years old
- Patients infected with COVID-19 and has received care at the Centro Hospitalario
Benito Menni
- Patients with acute or limited functional or strength impairment in at least one of
the upper extremities
- Patients who would complete a rehabilitation program and a series of patient
reported outcome questionnaires and a follow up evaluation
- Patients who give inform written consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Presence of behavioral disorders
- Dementia (loss of memory of cognitive functions)
- Disorders of consciousness (confusional states and drowsiness)
- Uncontrolled or severely limiting delusions and hallucinations
- Infectious skin diseases
- Rrisk of epileptic seizures due to COVID itself or prior to it
- Severe visual impairments
- Severe spasticity with a Modified Ashworth Scale >2, joint stiffness in the wrist
and fingers
- Pain with a score >8 on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) during mobilization of the
affected hand.
Centro Hospitalario Padre Benito Menni
Valladolid 3106672, Spain
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