When people use a robot to move their arm along a curved or wiggly path instead of a straight line, their muscles work harder and they make more mistakes, no matter if the robot moves their arm or they move it themselves.
Scientific Claim
In healthy adults, complex virtual tasks (circular and S-shaped) are associated with significantly higher tracking error, interactive force, and muscle activation compared to simple straight-line tasks during both passive and active robot-assisted training, suggesting task complexity increases motor demand regardless of training mode.
Original Statement
“The relatively complex circular and S-shaped tasks significantly enhanced the benefits of various training strategies.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
overstated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The authors use 'enhanced the benefits' implying therapeutic gain, but the study only measured motor metrics in healthy adults. The verb should reflect association, not benefit.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The study found that when people moved their arms along curvy paths (circles and S-shapes) instead of straight lines during robot training, their muscles worked harder and they made more mistakes—meaning harder tasks make your body work more, no matter if the robot is moving for you or you’re moving yourself.