2D Gravity compensated therapy is more effective
than 3D Spatial therapy
IMT’s modular, “gym-of-robots” systems approach to neurorehabilitation is the only system designed to optimize the use of robotics for neurorehabilitation in a manner that is consistent with the latest clinical research and neuroscience, taking into account the latest understandings on motor learning interference and motor memory consolidation. For instance, training planar and vertical (anti-gravity) movements in alternate days leads to significant functional improvements1.
By measuring patient kinematic and kinetic data objectively, IMT’s robots have shown that for severe to moderate brain injury the effectiveness of therapy is optimized by allowing the robots to focus on reducing impairment and allowing the therapist to assist on translating the gains in impairment into function.
(1) Krebs, H.I., et al., “Rehabilitation Robotics: Pilot Trial of a Spatial Extension for MIT-MANUS,” Journal of NeruoEngineering and Rehabilitation, Biomedcentral, 1:5 (2004)
Klein Julius, Spencer Steven J,Reinkensmeyer David J. “Breaking It Down Is Better: Haptic Decomposition of Complex Movements Aids in Robot-Assisted Motor Learning” ieee Transactions On Neural Systems And Rehabilitation Engineering, VOL. 20, NO. 3, MAY 2012
Krakauer John W, Carmichael Thomas S, Corbett Dale, Wittenberg George F, “Getting neurorehabilitation right: What Can Be Learned From Animal Models?” Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, published online March 30 2012
L. Dipietro, H.I. Krebs, B.T. Volpe, J. Stein, C. Bever, S.T. Mernoff, S.E. Fasoli, and N. Hogan “Learning, not Adaptation, Characterizes Stroke Motor Recovery: Evidence from Kinematic Changes Induced by Robot-Assisted Therapy in Trained and Untrained Task in the Same Workspace.” IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering 2012 Jan:20(1):48-57
