RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Although hybrid assistive neuromuscular dynamic stimulation (HANDS) therapy may improve upper extremity functionality in patients with paralysis or paresis due to stroke, it is usually only provided in hospitals as a frequent intervention during the phase of early recovery in stroke. Home-based rehabilitation is limited by frequency and duration of visits. PURPOSE: To investigate the effectiveness of low-frequency HANDS therapy using motor function assessment. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. METHODS: We performed HANDS therapy for 1 month on the patient, who was a woman in her 70s with left-sided hemiplegia. It was initiated on day 183 post the onset of stroke. Movement and motor function were evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment upper-extremity (FMA-UE) motor items and the Motor Activity Log consisting of Amount of Use (MAL-AOU), as well as Quality of Movement (MAL-QOM) scales. This evaluation was performed before starting HANDS therapy and after its conclusion. RESULTS: Following HANDS therapy, there was improvement in the FMA-UE (21 points â 28 points), MAL-AOU (0.17 points â 0.33 points), and MAL-QOM (0.08 points â 0.33 points) scores when compared to the scores before therapy, and the patient was able to use both hands for activities of daily living (ADLs). CONCLUSIONS: Low-frequency HANDS therapy combined with encouragement to include the affected hand in ADLs may improve upper extremity function in cases of paralysis.
RESUMO
Objective: We investigated the impact of using a companion robot on the mental state of a community-dwelling older adult who was receiving home-visit rehabilitation services during the state of emergency for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: This case involved an 80-year-old woman with compression fractures of lumbar vertebrae 1 and 2. Her medical history included hypothyroidism, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and depression. The companion robot used was Smibi®, a healing baby robot that responds in various ways depending on how the user interacts with it. The patient interacted (e.g., hugging, conversing) with Smibi® for 30 minutes per day for 1 month, from April 2020 (immediately before the declaration of a state of emergency in Japan) to May 2020. The patient was evaluated with the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) before and after using Smibi®. Results: The SDS score decreased from 37 points to 26 points after the use of Smibi®. The items related to diurnal variation, sleep, despair about the future, and dissatisfaction decreased by 2-3 points. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that interacting with Smibi® may improve depression in older adults who have been forced to refrain from going out due to the spread of COVID-19. Future studies with long-term follow-up and large sample sizes are required to confirm the effectiveness of companion robots in improving depression among community-dwelling older adults.
