Abstract: Socially assistive robots (SARs) have been suggested as a platform for post-stroke training. It is not yet known whether long-term interaction with a SAR can lead to an improvement in the functional ability of individuals post-stroke. The aim of this pilot study was to compare the changes in motor ability and quality of life following a long-term intervention for upper-limb rehabilitation of post-stroke individuals using three approaches: (1) training with a SAR in addition to usual care; (2) training with a computer in addition to usual care; and (3) usual care with no additional intervention. Thirty-three post-stroke patients with moderate-severe to mild impairment were randomly allocated into three groups: two intervention groups - one with a SAR (ROBOT group) and one with a computer (COMPUTER group) - and one control group with no intervention (CONTROL group). The intervention sessions took place three times/week, for a total of 15 sessions/participant; The study was conducted over a period of two years, during which 306 sessions were held. Twenty-six participants completed the study. Participants in the ROBOT group significantly improved in their kinematic and clinical measures which included smoothness of movement, action research arm test (ARAT), and Fugl-Meyer upper-extremity assessment (FMA-UE). No significant improvement in these measures was found in the COMPUTER or the control groups. 100% of the participants in the SAR group gained improvement which reached - or exceeded - the minimal clinically important difference in the ARAT, the gold standard for upper-extremity activity performance post-stroke. This study demonstrates both the feasibility and the clinical benefit of using a SAR for long-term interaction with post-stroke individuals as part of their rehabilitation program.

Lay summary (by Claude 3 Sonnet): Researchers tested whether interacting with a socially assistive robot (SAR) over a long period could help improve arm movement and quality of life for people who had a stroke. They had three groups: one group trained with a SAR in addition to usual care, one group trained with a computer program in addition to usual care, and a control group with just usual care. A total of 33 stroke survivors with moderate to mild arm impairment participated, doing 15 training sessions over several weeks. By the end, the group that trained with the SAR showed significant improvements in how smoothly they could move their arm and in clinical tests of arm function. The computer group and control group did not improve as much. This study shows that training with a socially assistive robot for an extended time can provide real benefits as part of stroke rehabilitation for regaining arm movement ability.