Effects of ULEM apparatus on motor function of patients with stroke.

Objective: To investigate the effects of upper limbs' encircling motion (ULEM) apparatus on motor function of patients with stroke. Study design: This study adopted a single-blind, prospective, randomized control design. From July 2003 to September 2005, 44 inpatients suffering from stroke in Jiangsu Province Hospital were enrolled in this study. All the subjects were randomized into two groups. Interventions: Group A received ULEM therapy and conventional physical therapy (PT) aand group B received PT only. Blood pressure, pulse, Brunnstrom stage and Barthel Index were tested before and after 20 days' treatment. Results: In group A, according to Brunnstrom stage, the effective rates of hand, upper extremities and lower extremities were 20.0%, 80.0% and 100.0%, respectively, and the total effective rate improved significantly compared to that of group B (p < 0.05), especially lower extremities (p < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in Barthel Indexes between two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: ULEM apparatus can significantly improve integrative motor function of extremities of patients with stroke. It is a safe and effective treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]