Background: Upper-extremity impairment after stroke can substantially restrict reaching, grasping, and activities of daily living. Arm-support systems may reduce the effect of gravity during task practice, while rehabilitation gaming can provide repetitive, engaging and feedback-rich training. Combining these approaches may facilitate motor practice during the subacute recovery period.

Objective: To compare a combined arm-support and rehabilitation-gaming program with conventional upper-extremity rehabilitation on motor function, arm-hand dexterity, functional independence, and motor recovery in patients with subacute stroke.

Methods: In this simulated two-arm randomized controlled trial, 60 participants were allocated equally to an arm-support plus gaming group or a conventional rehabilitation group. Treatment was modeled over 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week. Primary outcomes were the Fugl-Meyer Assessment–Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) and Action Research Arm Test (ARAT); functional independence and motor recovery were secondary outcomes. Analyses were based on simulated pre/post values using paired and independent-samples tests, with effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals.

Results: The simulated dataset demonstrated greater improvement in the combined-intervention group across all prespecified outcomes. Because these values are simulated, the observed numerical differences are illustrative rather than clinical evidence.

Conclusion: The manuscript demonstrates a plausible framework for evaluating a combined arm-support and gaming intervention. Real participant data are required to establish effectiveness.

Keywords: stroke; upper extremity; arm support; rehabilitation gaming; motor function; dexterity; functional independence; randomized controlled trial