Advances in the Understanding and Treatment of Stroke Impairment Using Robotic Devices
By Hidler, Joseph; Nichols, Diane; Pelliccio, Marlena; Brady, Kathy; Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 22-35Publication Date: Spring 2005
Article discusses the use of robotic devices in rehabilitation centers, and reviews clinical outcomes yielded by robotic-assisted training in both the lower and upper extremities among people who have had a stroke. Three robotic devices are discussed: (1) the MIT-MANUS, (2) the Assisted Rehabilitation and Measurement (ARM)-GUIDE, and (3) the Mirror-Image Movement Enabler (MIME). The MIT-MANUS was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and was created to determine whether repetitive reaching exercises could enhance the recovery of arm functioning among people who have experienced a stroke and hemiparesis. The ARM Guide is a trombone-like device that allows the user to reach along a rail, which is positioned to assist or resist the user’s motion and monitor hand position and speed. The MIME was developed by the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Palo Alto, California and Stanford University. The user’s impaired limb is placed in a splint, which is connected to the robot through a six-degree of freedom force torque sensor. The sensor is able to measure the interaction forces between the participant and the device during research tasks. Clinical outcomes yielded by the use of these devices are presented, and implications for further research directions are discussed.
Published by: Thomas Land Publishers, Inc. (Website:http://www.thomasland.com)
National Stroke Association (Web Site: http://www.stroke.org )
