Study overview
After a stroke, rehabilitation can help people rebuild movement and function. But access to the right level of rehabilitation, at the right time and intensity, remains a challenge.
This study evaluated a wearable rehabilitation device developed by Sword that combined 3D motion analysis with targeted vibratory feedback. The goal was to understand whether real-time feedback could help patients perform a repeated hand-to-mouth movement with greater accuracy during early post-stroke rehabilitation.
The trial included 44 patients within four weeks of ischemic stroke who had upper-limb motor deficits but were not fully plegic. Each patient completed the movement task under two conditions: one with vibratory feedback and 3D motion tracking, and one with 3D motion tracking only. The primary outcome was the number of correct movements per minute.
Key findings
Patients completed more correct movements with vibratory feedback
During the session with vibratory feedback, patients completed more correct hand-to-mouth movements per minute than they did during the session with motion tracking alone.
The study found an average increase of 7.2 correct movements per minute with vibratory feedback.
Movement errors decreased
Vibratory feedback also helped reduce movement errors. Without vibratory feedback, patients made an error in approximately 1 out of every 3 movements. With vibratory feedback, that improved to approximately 1 out of every 9 movements.
The study supports further research into feedback-guided rehabilitation
The findings suggest that targeted vibratory feedback may help improve the quality and intensity of motor training during early stroke rehabilitation. The study authors noted that longer-duration trials are needed to understand whether these short-term improvements translate into broader functional recovery.
Why this study matters
This study reflects Sword’s early foundation in technology-enabled rehabilitation.
At its core, the study explored a clinical question that still matters: how can technology help people perform therapeutic movement with more accuracy, consistency, and guidance?
For clinical and research audiences, the findings offer early evidence that wearable motion tracking and real-time feedback may help improve motor task performance after stroke. For organizations evaluating Sword’s clinical model, the study shows the roots of Sword’s work in movement science, rehabilitation technology, and measurable care delivery.
The study should be understood as evidence of short-term improvement in movement performance during a rehabilitation task. It does not establish long-term functional recovery after stroke. That distinction is important and helps keep the page clinically credible.
About the author
Fabiola Costa
Senior Director of Clinical Research, Sword Health
