RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Is the combination of robot-assisted therapy and transcranial direct current stimulation useful for upper limb motor recovery? A systematic review with meta-analysis
A1 Bernal Jiménez, Juan José
A1 Polonio López, Begoña
A1 Sanz García, Ancor
A1 Martín Conty, José Luis
A1 Lerín Calvo, Alfredo
A1 Segura Fragoso, Antonio
A1 Martín Rodríguez, Francisco
A1 Cantero Garlito, Pablo A.
A1 Corregidor Sánchez, Ana Isabel
A1 Mordillo Mateos, Laura
K1 Robotics
K1 Robótica
K1 Robotics in medicine
K1 Robòtica en medicina
K1 Transcranial direct current stimulation
K1 Neurorehabilitation
K1 Stroke
K1 Cerebro - Enfermedades
K1 Destreza manual
K1 Spasticity
K1 Espasticidad
K1 Meta-analysis
K1 Medicine
K1 Neurology
K1 Medical innovations
K1 Public health
K1 32 Ciencias Médicas
K1 3205.07 Neurología
K1 3314 Tecnología Médica
K1 3212 Salud Publica
AB Stroke is the third leading cause of disability in the world, and effective rehabilitation is needed to improve lost functionality post-stroke. In this regard, robot-assisted therapy (RAT) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are promising rehabilitative approaches that have been shown to be effective in motor recovery. In the past decade, they have been combined to study whether their combination produces adjuvant and greater effects on stroke recovery. The aim of this study was to estimate the effectiveness of the combined use of RATs and tDCS in the motor recovery of the upper extremities after stroke. After reviewing 227 studies, we included nine randomised clinical trials (RCTs) in this study. We analysed the methodological quality of all nine RCTs in the meta-analysis. The analysed outcomes were deficit severity, hand dexterity, spasticity, and activity. The addition of tDCS to RAT produced a negligible additional benefit on the effects of upper limb function (SMD −0.09, 95% CI −0.31 to 0.12), hand dexterity (SMD 0.12, 95% CI −0.22 to 0.46), spasticity (SMD 0.04, 95% CI −0.24 to 0.32), and activity (SMD 0.66, 95% CI −1.82 to 3.14). There is no evidence of an additional effect when adding tDCS to RAT for upper limb recovery after stroke. Combining tDCS with RAT does not improve upper limb motor function, spasticity, and/or hand dexterity. Future research should focus on the use of RAT protocols in which the patient is given an active role, focusing on the intensity and dosage, and determining how certain variables influence the success of RAT.
PB MDPI
SN 2227-9032
YR 2024
FD 2024
LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/69806
UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/69806
LA eng
NO Healthcare, 2024, Vol. 12, Nº. 3, 337
NO Producción Científica
DS UVaDOC
RD 09-ene-2025