Browse the latest research summaries in the field of assistive technology for spinal cord injury patients and caregivers.
Showing 501-510 of 583 results
Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering, 2019 • January 1, 2019
This study presents the design and proof of concept for FES garments (shirts and pants) intended to deliver functional electrical stimulation, offering potential improvements in ease of use, comfort, ...
KEY FINDING: Fabric electrodes had a lower sensory threshold on forearm muscles but a higher maximal stimulation threshold for all tested muscles compared to gel electrodes.
Sensors, 2012 • January 31, 2012
This review paper summarizes the state-of-the-art of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), focusing on the different stages of a BCI system: signal acquisition, preprocessing, feature extraction, classifi...
KEY FINDING: Electroencephalography (EEG) is the most widely used neuroimaging modality in BCIs because of its high temporal resolution, low cost, and portability.
International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2012 • March 1, 2012
Over the years, various types of orthoses have been designed to assist subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) to stand and walk. Although walking with orthoses brings a lot of benefits to SCI subject...
KEY FINDING: Among various orthoses designed for paraplegic subjects, the mechanical orthoses seemed to have a better performance.
The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2012 • July 1, 2012
This study examined the association between reliance on devices and people and the ability to ambulate distances and climb stairs for ambulatory persons with SCI. The probability of functional communi...
KEY FINDING: Participants best able to ambulate community distances were those who were independent with ambulation and those who used one cane or crutch.
Am J Phys Med Rehabil., 2012 • June 1, 2012
This study reports the incidence of wheelchair repairs, breakdowns, and consequences in a population of wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI) and compares current findings with historical dat...
KEY FINDING: Significant increases were found in the number of participants reporting repairs and adverse consequences in a 6-month period compared with historical data.
J Rehabil Res Dev, 2012 • March 1, 2012
This study created a set of functional tasks for assessing FES and other interventions aimed at restoring arm movement in individuals with high tetraplegia. The selected tasks are representative of va...
KEY FINDING: The study identified five key tasks: touching the face, drinking from a mug with a straw, eating with fingers from a plate, retrieving an object from a countertop, and pressing an elevator button.
J Rehabil Res Dev, 2012 • January 1, 2012
This qualitative study investigated the impact of implanted standing neuroprostheses on the perceived quality of life (QOL) of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Semi-structured interviews wer...
KEY FINDING: Participants reported improved health status, including decreased spasticity, fewer urinary tract infections, and better skin condition.
Am J Phys Med Rehabil, 2012 • November 1, 2012
The paper argues that upper extremity robotic therapy has reached a 'tipping point' and is ready for mainstream clinical use, based on evidence from studies like VA-ROBOTICS. These studies demonstrate...
KEY FINDING: Usual care did not reduce impairment, disability, or improve quality of life in chronic stroke survivors.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 2013 • April 1, 2013
This study evaluated the impact of different durations of wheelchair tilt-in-space and recline on skin perfusion over the ischial tuberosity in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The findings ...
KEY FINDING: A 3-minute duration of tilt-in-space and recline was more effective at enhancing skin perfusion during recovery compared to a 1-minute duration.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 2013 • June 1, 2013
This study investigated the effect of various wheelchair tilt-in-space and recline angles on sacral skin perfusion in wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI). Sacral skin perfusion did not show...
KEY FINDING: The study found that wheelchair tilt-in-space and recline did not significantly reduce sacral skin perfusion when moving from an upright to a tilted and reclined position.