Investigating the Effects of Dexteria App Therapy on Hand Function in Subacute Stroke Survivors

Abstract

Objectives: Hand function impairment causes limitations in activities of daily living among stroke survivors. Dexteria app therapy is a game-based therapy with the use of a touchscreen gadget that involves various hand movements. This study evaluates the effect of Dexteria app therapy on hand function in sub-acute stroke survivors. Methods: This study included 26 subacute stroke survivors, randomly allocated into 2 groups as follows: Group A (n=13) received conventional hand therapy while group B (n=13) received Dexteria app therapy. Both groups received 21 sixty-min therapy sessions. Gross hand function and fine manipulative hand function were assessed using the Brunnstrom hand recovery voluntary control grades and the Jebsen hand function test, respectively. Results: Inter-group comparison using the Wilcoxon rank sum test of the mean difference between groups A and B showed a significant difference in the Brunnstrom hand recovery voluntary control grades Z value which equaled -3.272 with P=0.001 and Jebsen hand function test Z=-3.0 and P=0.002. Discussion: Dexteria app therapy showed significant improvement in gross motor function and fine motor hand function than conventional therapy in sub-acute stroke survivors.

Keywords

• stroke
• paresis
• hand
• movement
• technology
• therapeutics