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PERSPECTIVE article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neurorehabilitation
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1506889
This article is part of the Research Topic New approaches for central nervous system rehabilitation - Volume II View all 3 articles

Tailoring Robot-Assisted Arm Training to Individuals with Stroke: Bridging Neuroscience Principles and Clinical Practice

Provisionally accepted
Giovanni Morone Giovanni Morone 1,2Marco Tramontano Marco Tramontano 3,4Stefano Paolucci Stefano Paolucci 5Antonio Cerasa Antonio Cerasa 6,7,8Irene Ciancarelli Irene Ciancarelli 1Alex Martino Cinnera Alex Martino Cinnera 5Marco Iosa Marco Iosa 5,9*Rocco Salvatore Calabrò Rocco Salvatore Calabrò 10
  • 1 Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L’Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy
  • 2 San Raffaele Sulmona, Sulmona, Italy
  • 3 Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
  • 4 IRCCS University Hospital of Bologna Sant Orsola Polyclinic, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
  • 5 Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS), Rome, Lazio, Italy
  • 6 Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, Messina, Italy, Messina, Italy
  • 7 Sant'Anna Crotone Institute, Crotone, Italy
  • 8 Section of Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
  • 9 Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Sicily, Italy
  • 10 Bonino Pulejo Neurology Center (IRCCS), Messina, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Robot-assisted arm training (RAAT) has demonstrated promising potential in improving rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with neurological conditions, particularly stroke. Despite 20 years of their use in clinical and research settings, there are still significant needs to be made concerning clinical indications. In the present perspective manuscript, we provide some hypotheses of the suitability of different RAAT according to the features of the available devices and clinical characteristics, showing their limitations and strengths. Several factors were considered in the optimization of RAAT intervention, including the technological characteristics of the devices (e.g., support and constriction), the residual upper limb motor function, and the clinical phase of stroke. Finally, we outline key areas for improvement to advance the field in the near future and provide neuroscientific bases for hypotheses of tailored RAAT training to improve the outcome of robotic rehabilitation.

    Keywords: robotic devices, exoskeleton devices, Stroke, Rehabilitation, Upper Extremity

    Received: 06 Oct 2024; Accepted: 07 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Morone, Tramontano, Paolucci, Cerasa, Ciancarelli, Martino Cinnera, Iosa and Calabrò. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Marco Iosa, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Sicily, Italy

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.