Upper limb robot-assisted therapy: A new option for children with hemiplegia1

Although a number of research studies have examined the effects of robot-assisted movement therapy for adults with motor impairments following stroke, use of this technology for children with neurologically-based movement disorders is just beginning. Conventional rehabilitation methods are i nsufficient in meeting children's needs for intensive motor learning experiences. Therapy for children with moderate to severe upper limb motor impairments is particularly challenging, because of their reluctance to engage in challenging and repetitive upper limb exercise and frequent developmental disregard for using the paretic arm during functional tasks. In an effort to adapt robot-assisted movement therapy for children with moderate to severe hemiplegia due to cerebral palsy (CP), we developed robotic therapy that was engaging and cognitively challenging for children, and that provided intensive s ensorimotor practice during goal directed reaching activities. This is a review of how we adapted robotic therapy for children with hemiplegia, our selection of outcome measures, and a brief summary of study findings. Our initial work suggests that robot-assisted t herapy can be readily adapted and has good potential for improving motor performance of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.