Yoshiaki Takagi

Clinical Evaluation of Training System for Recovery of Motor Function after Stroke in Patients with Hemiplegia

We developed a training system (URSystem: Useful and Ultimate Rehabilitation System) for recovery of motor function of the upper limb after stroke in patients with hemiplegia. Clinical evaluation of the therapeutic effect of the URSystem was performed in eight patients. Active ranges of motion (A-ROMs) of elbow extension and supination of the forearm were improved after training with the URSystem within two weeks. Moreover, the modified Ashworth scale scores for elbow extension and supination of the forearm were increased. This means that spastic paralysis was reduced. These effects persisted for one month after the training. These results show the effectiveness of training with the URSystem for recovery of motor function of the upper limb.

Clinical Evaluation of UR-System 2 for Recovery of Motor Function of Plegic Upper Limb after Stroke

We developed a new training system UR-System 2 for restoring motor function of the upper limb after stroke in patients with hemiplegia. And then, we conducted clinical evaluation of the therapeutic effect of training with the UR-System 2 in six patients. The UR-System uses Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) to promote muscle strength. The results show the immediate therapeutic effect of training with the UR-System 2 for restoring the motor function of the upper limb.

Development of ‘UR-System 2’: a training system for recovery of motor function of plegic upper limb after stroke

Abstract We developed a new training system, called ‘UR-System 2’, for the recovery of motor function of a plegic upper limb after stroke. UR-System 2, which was redesigned based on knowledge gained from clinical tests using UR-System 1, was newly equipped with a function for testing the motor function of patients, such as isolated movement. In order to verify the effectiveness of UR-System 2, we conducted the following procedures: we verified the safety of training in healthy persons; we gathered standard data on pronation and supination of healthy forearms during tests; and, we verified that the test function was effective in evaluating the recovery effect of isolated movement in two hemiplegic patients.

Verification of recovery effect on motor function of plegie upper limb after stroke by UR-System 2

We have developed a new rehabilitation support system, UR-System 2, for restoring the motor function of a plegic upper limb after a stroke. Its design is based on knowledge gained during clinical testing of the UR-System. The UR-System 2 was equipped with the facilitating function of elbow extension based on the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation technique and the measurement function for evaluating isolated movements. In this study, we verified the effectiveness of the facilitating function on a patient. In addition, we verified the immediate recovery effect of training with the UR-System 2 on a patient. In this training, elbow flexion and extension of the paralyzed forearm were repeated 150 times. As a result, we confirmed the improvement of isolated movements, namely the decrease in pronation torque of the paralyzed forearm during training and the suppression of the pronation angle before and after training. Moreover, the active ranges of motion and the modified Ashworth scale score improved after training, which indicated a reduction in spastic paralysis. These results show the immediate recovery effect of training with the UR-System 2 for restoring the motor function of the upper limb.