Machines To Support Motor Rehabilitation After Stroke: 10 Years Of Experience In Berlin

November 21, 2006 – 10:07 pm | posted in Medical Devices, Neurology / Neuroscience, Stroke / Neuroprotection

The Klinik Berlin/Charitï¿½ University Hospital, Berlin, Germany, designs intelligent machines to intensify motor rehabilitation without overstressing therapists. We designed a gait trainer to intensify patient gait training and relieve the strenuous effort of therapists when assisting movement of the paretic limbs.

We then developed the HapticWalker, a robotic walking simulator with freely programmable foot plates. For the upper limb, the computerized arm trainer Bi-Manu-Track enabled the bilateral practice of forearm and wrist movement.

The Nudelholz, our most recent development, is a purely mechanical device intended for home therapy to train the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. In the studies presented here, machines are a supplementary tool assisting the therapist and enabling more intensive practice, thereby improving treatment.

While no machine can ever substitute for the “human touch” of an experienced therapist, we look forward to the future development of this exciting new field of rehabilitation.

Machines to support motor rehabilitation after stroke: 10 years of experience in Berlin, pg. 671 (PDF)

About the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development (JRRD

JRRD has been a leading research journal in the field of rehabilitation medicine and technology for more than 40 years. JRRD, a peer-reviewed, scientifically indexed journal, publishes original research papers, review articles, as well as clinical and technical commentary from U.S. and international researchers on all rehabilitation research disciplines. JRRD’s mission is to responsibly evaluate and disseminate scientific research findings impacting the rehabilitative healthcare community.

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