Self-powered robots to reduce motor slacking during upper-extremity rehabilitation: a proof of concept study.

Journal: Restorative neurology and neuroscience
Published Date: Jan 1, 2018

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Robotic rehabilitation is a highly promising approach to recover lost functions after stroke or other neurological disorders. Unfortunately, robotic rehabilitation currently suffers from "motor slacking", a phenomenon in which the human motor system reduces muscle activation levels and movement excursions, ostensibly to minimize metabolic- and movement-related costs. Consequently, the patient remains passive and is not fully engaged during therapy. To overcome this limitation, we envision a new class of body-powered robots and hypothesize that motor slacking could be reduced if individuals must provide the power to move their impaired limbs via their own body (i.e., through the motion of a healthy limb).

Authors

  • Edward P Washabaugh
    Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
  • Emma Treadway
    Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
  • R Brent Gillespie
  • C David Remy
    Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America.
  • Chandramouli Krishnan
    Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Electronic address: mouli@umich.edu.

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