Converging Robotic Technologies in Targeted Neural Rehabilitation: A Review of Emerging Solutions and Challenges

Sensors, 2021 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/s21062084 · Published: March 16, 2021

Assistive Technology Neurorehabilitation

Simple Explanation

Recent technological innovations and a better understanding of how the brain controls movement have opened new avenues in neural rehabilitation. These advances enhance existing treatments and create opportunities for new methods and technological partnerships. New strategies aim to lessen the long-term effects of spinal cord injuries using either invasive technologies that create a bridge around the injury or noninvasive interfaces that connect humans and machines. Wearable robotic devices are being designed for specific groups of patients, including those with traumatic brain injuries, stroke, and amputations. Moreover, progress in robot-assisted rehabilitation may improve motor learning and generate movement repetitions by interpreting brain activity during therapy.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Not specified

Evidence Level

Level 5, Narrative Review

Key Findings

1
Integrating AI with neural rehabilitation can be highly impactful by enabling family members and carers (non-technically trained) to alter the programming of neural rehabilitation robotic setups, to actively get involved and intervene promptly at the point of care.
2
Robotic rehabilitation can reduce the burden of therapists by automating tedious and labor-intensive therapy and by adapting to the speciﬁc needs of the targeted individuals.
3
Multimodality and synergistic effects of VR with other novel neural rehabilitation technologies have also been recently shown in patients with motor impairment due to SCI and that the neural plasticity effects, while demonstrated, are still under investigation.

Research Summary

This narrative review considers existing and emerging neural rehabilitation technologies through the perspective of replacing or restoring functions, enhancing, or improving natural neural output, as well as promoting or recruiting dormant neuroplasticity. We discuss the future directions for neural rehabilitation research, diagnosis, and treatment based on the discussed technologies and their major roadblocks. This future may eventually become possible through technological evolution and convergence of mutually beneﬁcial technologies to create hybrid solutions. These technologies feature different points of origin but address clinical challenges and generate synergistic added value in the ﬁeld of neural rehabilitation. This continuous evolution and convergence, as well as occasional inventions that have a particularly strong impact in the ﬁeld, are likely to lead to an amalgam of neural rehabilitation assistive technologies whose utility increasingly exceeds the sum of its parts in terms of applications and outcomes

Practical Implications

Empowering Caregivers

Integrating AI can empower non-technical family members and professional carers to adjust neural rehabilitation robotic setups, promoting active involvement and timely interventions at the point of care.

Reducing Therapist Burden

Robotics can automate tedious therapy tasks, adapting to individual needs, and freeing up therapists' time.

Improving Rehabilitation Outcomes

The integration of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality techniques, along with a better understanding of embodiment, enhances the effectiveness of rehabilitation by improving the registration of technologies and devices into a perceived body schema.

Study Limitations

1
Lack of systematic methodology does not allow for acquiring the highest current level of evidence for most of the conditions and technologies discussed.
2
A narrative review format allows us to discuss the gap between robotic rehabilitation and various key technologies from which robotic rehabilitation can beneﬁt and speculate on their integration and future directions.
3
A narrative review includes the fact that it does not ensure an unbiased cover of the scientiﬁc literature by locating all relevant literature but instead discusses pivotal articles known to the authors.

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