Wongwatcharanon, T., Earde, P. T., Rungroungdouyboon, B., & Kooncumchoo, P. (2025). Improving Upper-Limb Recovery in Patients with Chronic Stroke Using an 8-Week Bilateral Arm-Training Device. Life, 15(7), 994.

AbstractUpper-limb impairments after stroke significantly affect patients’ quality of life and require effective rehabilitation strategies. Rehabilitation devices play a vital role in enhancing motor recovery. This study evaluated the efficacy of the Arm Booster, a bilateral arm-training device, in improving upper-limb impairment in patients with chronic stroke. Eighteen participants were randomly assigned to two groups: a device group (n = 9), using the Arm Booster; and a conventional physiotherapy group (n = 9). Both groups performed six bilateral upper-limb exercises (32 repetitions each) three times per week for eight weeks. Participants were further classified into mild spasticity (n = 5) and moderate-to-severe spasticity (n = 4) subgroups. The primary outcome was motor impairment, assessed using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the Upper Extremity (FMA-UE). Secondary outcomes included spasticity, measured by the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and daily functional use of the arm, assessed with the Motor Activity Log (MAL). Both groups showed significant improvements in FMA-UE scores and overall arm movement. The conventional group demonstrated additional gains in hand and wrist function and coordination. Notably, in the moderate-to-severe spasticity subgroup, the device group exhibited improvements in upper-limb movement and a trend toward reduced spasticity. These findings suggest that the Arm Booster may support motor recovery, encourage the use of the affected arm, improve movement control, and provide an efficient means for patients to exercise more frequently on their own.
Keywords:  bilateral arm training; rehabilitation machine; stroke

Abstract

Posture-related musculoskeletal issues among office workers are a significant health concern, mainly due to long periods spent in static positions. This research presents a Posture Lab which is a workplace-based solution through an easy-to-use posture monitoring system, allowing employees to assess their posture. The Posture Lab focuses on two key aspects: Normal Head Posture (NHP) versus Forward Head Posture (FHP) measurement and thoracic spine kyphosis. Craniovertebral (CA) and Shoulder Angles (SA) quantify NHP and FHP. The Kyphosis Angle (KA) is for measuring normal thoracic spine and kyphosis. To measure these angles, the system uses computer vision technology with ArUco markers detection via a webcam to analyze head positions. Additionally, wearable accelerometer sensors measure kyphosis by checking the angles of inclination. The framework includes a web-based user interface for registration and specialized desktop applications for different measurement protocols. A RESTful API enables system communication and centralized data storage for reporting. The Posture Lab serves as an effective tool for organizations to evaluate employee postures and supports early intervention strategies, allowing timely referrals to healthcare providers if any potential musculoskeletal issues are identified. The Posture Lab has also shown medium to very high correlations with standard 2D motion analysis methods – Kinovea – for CA, SA, and KA in FHP with kyphosis measurements (r = 0.607, 0.704, and 0.992) and shown high to very high correlations in NHP with normal thoracic spine measurements (r = 0.809, 0.748, and 0.778), with significance at p < .01, utilizing the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Keywords: musculoskeletal disorders, primary health care, computer vision, ArUco markers, wearable sensors