Overview

The investigators aim to test whether intensive training of finger individuation during the sensitive window of the subacute phases can lead to a clinically-meaningful recovery of dexterous movement in stroke patients.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• First symptomatic ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
• Clinically evident upper-limb motor deficit
• Understand the study aim, is able to cooperate with the task for the specified time
• Clinically stable

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other neurological or psychiatric illness which affects upper-limb motor function
• An orthopedic or rheumatologic disease that affects the ability to undergo a robotic hand therapy.
• Sensory problems that prevent the patient from reporting pain during the robotic hand therapy
• Skin breakdown or wounds located in places where the hand contacts the robot.
• Patients with C/I to TMS (history of seizures, the existence of cardiac pacer, VP shunt, spinal stimulator or any other hardware that may malfunction at the presence of strong magnetic fields) will no undergo TMS but may participate in the study
• Participation in another interventional study for upper limb rehabilitation