Robotic Assessment of Neuromuscular Function

In our study, each participant was asked to perform each investigated assessment provided by the device three times. Specifically, to avoid the onset of spasticity due to the maximum contractions, the order of the tests was the following: 1) muscle tone (three repetitions); 2) spasticity (three repetitions); 3) strength (three repetitions). For each subject, a session lasted between 5 and 10 min, depending on patient’s impairment and compliance. In each rehabilitation center, the robotic assessment was performed by a single physical therapist, proficient in the use of the device. Before starting the study, the procedures were harmonized among centers.
Both patients and healthy subjects were tested twice, 1 day apart, to assess the test-retest reliability of the provided outcome measures. Each subject was evaluated in the two sessions by the same operator, using the pROM recorded in the first evaluation. For both test sessions, the value of each measure obtained in the three repetitions was recorded. With respect to the numeric data (i.e., HandForce_flex, HandForce_ext and Muscle tone), the mean value was computed and used for the statistical analysis. With respect to the ordinal data (MAS_V1, MAS_V3, MTS_V1, MTS_V3), the best value (i.e., the lowest value) was used.