Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jun 20, 2025
Date Accepted: Feb 2, 2026
Robot-Assisted Therapy for Upper Limb Rehabilitation After Stroke: An Umbrella Review
ABSTRACT
Background:
The application of robot-assisted therapy in upper limb rehabilitation of stroke is increasing, but the conclusions of existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses on its efficacy are still divided. In this paper, we systematically evaluated the effect of robot-assisted therapy on the recovery of upper limb function in stroke patients through the umbrella evaluation method.
Objective:
To systematically evaluate the role of robotic devices in enhancing upper limb rehabilitation after stroke through an umbrella review method, in order to verify the impact of robot-assisted therapy on the recovery of upper limb function in stroke patients.
Methods:
In this study, we searched for secondary studies published between 1 January 2019 and 5 August 2024 from PubMed, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) using an umbrella review framework. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials exploring the use of robotic devices for rehabilitation interventions was analyzed.
Results:
We combined the results of 372 randomized controlled trials(RCTs) in 16 meta-analyses of the effects of robotic-assisted therapy on upper limb function in stroke patients. Through a synthesis of these 16 meta-analyses, there was no statistically significant difference between the robot-assisted treatment group and the conventional treatment group in most measures based on the available evidence, but the robot-assisted treatment group had an advantage in two key indicators: the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity Motor Assessment (FMA-UE) and the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS).
Conclusions:
Robot-assisted therapy significantly improves upper limb motor function (e.g., FMA-UE and MAS). But there is no statistically significant advantages in hand dexterity or activities of daily living compared to conventional interventions. Further high-quality studies are warranted to establish the long-term efficacy, safety, and practical clinical value of robotic interventions in stroke rehabilitation. Clinical Trial: This umbrella review was prospectively registered on PROSPERO(CRD42024497183).
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