Piron 2008.
Methods | RCT | |
Participants | Study took place in Italy Inclusion criteria: mild to intermediate arm motor impairment due to ischaemic stroke in the area of the middle cerebral artery; without cognitive problems that could interfere with comprehension Exclusion criteria: failure to meet above criteria Age, years: telerehabilitation group = 53 (SD 15) years, control group = 65 (SD 11) years Gender: telerehabilitation group 40% men, control group 60% men Time post‐stroke: telerehabilitation group 10 months (SD 3), control group 13 months (SD 2) |
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Interventions | Telerehabilitation intervention: the purpose of the intervention was to improve upper limb function using a virtual reality programme. Patient‐therapist interaction facilitated by a videoconferencing unit beside the telerehabilitation equipment. 1 computer was at the hospital and 1 at the participant's home Control intervention: virtual reality workstation with a 3D motion tracking system that recorded the participant's arm movements. The participant's movement was represented in the virtual environment. The therapist created a sequence of virtual tasks for the participant to complete with the affected arm. Participants could see their own trajectory and the ideal/desired trajectory. |
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Outcomes | Timing of outcome assessment: baseline and post‐intervention Measures: participant satisfaction questionnaire, Fugl‐Meyer Upper Extremity Scale |
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Notes | ||
Risk of bias | ||
Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Described as 'simple randomisation' |
Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Not reported |
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Blinded outcome assessor |
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | No missing outcome data |
Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Unclear risk | Not able to access protocol |
Other bias | High risk | Small sample size |