Longitudinal Observation of Myoelectric Upper-Limb Orthosis Use among Veterans with Upper-Limb Impairment

Abstract

The objective of this observational study was to document longitudinal outcomes in Veterans and non-Veterans using the myoelectric upper limb orthosis with powered elbow and grasp using both patient-centric performance and patient-reported outcome measures. Longitudinal observation allowed us to document therapeutic and neuroplastic effects, as well as functional outcomes of orthosis use. This was a prospective, observational, longitudinal outcomes study wherein subjects acted as their own control. The study required 29 visits over 22 weeks and was divided into four parts: enrollment, orthotic fitting, therapy/training, and home use. We recruited 16 subjects, 13 of whom completed the study. For the entire cohort, statistically significant changes were observed for all measures at both time points, with the exception of CHART, which assesses participation, where a significant change did not occur until the end of the Home phase. Device repetitions during the Home phase were significantly greater for the TBI cohort at the elbow. No adverse events occurred.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2021
Accession Number
AD1158816

Entities

People

  • Stefania Fatone
  • Svetlana Pundik

Organizations

  • Northwestern University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Assistive Technologies
  • Brain Injuries
  • Department Of Veterans Affairs
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Engineering
  • Fabrication
  • Health Services
  • Information Science
  • Institutional Review Board
  • Medical Personnel
  • Neuroplasticity
  • Orthoses
  • Rehabilitation
  • Robotics
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Therapy
  • Upper Extremity

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Mental Health of Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Risk Factors, Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment.
  • Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Care for Military Service Members and Veterans with Limb Loss or Disability.