Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 4184-4195 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering |
| Volume | 33 |
| Early online date | 29 Sept 2025 |
| Publication status | Published - 29 Oct 2025 |
Abstract
Keywords
- Hemiparesis, Inertial sensors, Neurorehabilitation, Stroke, Tablet PC
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
- Internal Medicine
- Neuroscience(all)
- General Neuroscience
- Engineering(all)
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medicine(all)
- Rehabilitation
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In: IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, Vol. 33, 29.10.2025, p. 4184-4195.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A Novel Bilateral Upper Limb Training Method for Stroke Rehabilitation
AU - Hwang, Tong-Hun
AU - Boltzmann, Melanie
AU - Jenner, Simone B.
AU - Rollnik, Jens D.
AU - Schmitz, Gerd
AU - Effenberg, Alfred Oliver
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2001-2011 IEEE.
PY - 2025/10/29
Y1 - 2025/10/29
N2 - Post-stroke individuals often experience upper limb sensorimotor impairments that limit their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Bilateral upper limb training (BULT) is essential in stroke rehabilitation, as many ADL tasks require bilateral coordination and benefit from enhanced interhemispheric coordination demands—the key aim of the method presented here. However, evidence supporting the superiority of BULT over unilateral upper limb training (UULT) is limited due to the complexity and limited accessibility of BULT devices in experimental and clinical settings. The low sensitivity of conventional motor function tests is also a serious obstacle to detecting subtle differences in bilateral upper limb skill levels. This paper introduces a novel, tablet-based BULT approach using a tetherball circling task within a simple non-immersive virtual reality (VR) application, incorporating wearable inertial sensors (ISs) on the wrists. In this study, 18 stroke patients and 18 healthy controls were asked to rhythmically tilt the tablet with both hands to rotate a virtual tetherball along a circular guideline. Task performance and forearm end-effector kinematics were analyzed using different parameters. Repeated measures ANOVA resulted in significant differences in task performance, asymmetry, and coordination characteristics. The findings indicate that the proposed BULT method is both effective for rehabilitation and sensitive to assess the subtle differences in bilateral upper limb skill levels. With its high accessibility and user-friendliness, the proposed method can support future BULT research and stroke rehabilitation.
AB - Post-stroke individuals often experience upper limb sensorimotor impairments that limit their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Bilateral upper limb training (BULT) is essential in stroke rehabilitation, as many ADL tasks require bilateral coordination and benefit from enhanced interhemispheric coordination demands—the key aim of the method presented here. However, evidence supporting the superiority of BULT over unilateral upper limb training (UULT) is limited due to the complexity and limited accessibility of BULT devices in experimental and clinical settings. The low sensitivity of conventional motor function tests is also a serious obstacle to detecting subtle differences in bilateral upper limb skill levels. This paper introduces a novel, tablet-based BULT approach using a tetherball circling task within a simple non-immersive virtual reality (VR) application, incorporating wearable inertial sensors (ISs) on the wrists. In this study, 18 stroke patients and 18 healthy controls were asked to rhythmically tilt the tablet with both hands to rotate a virtual tetherball along a circular guideline. Task performance and forearm end-effector kinematics were analyzed using different parameters. Repeated measures ANOVA resulted in significant differences in task performance, asymmetry, and coordination characteristics. The findings indicate that the proposed BULT method is both effective for rehabilitation and sensitive to assess the subtle differences in bilateral upper limb skill levels. With its high accessibility and user-friendliness, the proposed method can support future BULT research and stroke rehabilitation.
KW - Hemiparesis
KW - Inertial sensors
KW - Neurorehabilitation
KW - Stroke
KW - Tablet PC
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105018089967&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/TNSRE.2025.3614559
DO - 10.1109/TNSRE.2025.3614559
M3 - Article
VL - 33
SP - 4184
EP - 4195
JO - IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering
JF - IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering
SN - 1534-4320
ER -