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REHABILITATION ROBOTICS FOR POST-STROKE PATIENTS: POR FESR TOSCANA 2014-2020 FUNDS THE VERSUS PROJECT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SANT’ANNA SCHOOL BIOROBOTICS INSTITUTE

Publication date: 12.07.2018
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The VERSUS project (Virtual-Reality Enhanced Rehabilitation for Sustainable and Usable Services) aims to develop the most advanced technology for post-stroke rehabilitation. The goal of stroke rehabilitation is to help patients relearn the skills lost after stroke and regain mobility. VERSUS project is coordinated by Stefano Mazzoleni, assistant professor at Sant’Anna School Biorobotics Institute. In partnership with Signo Motus, VRMedia, Movit, Horentek, Dielectrik, BTR, and CPA Web Solutions, the project received financial contribution from the Tuscany Region Authority fund Por Fesr Toscana 2014-2020. This fund will provide 1.5-year general operating grants to support sustainable, evidence-based integration of virtual reality (VR) into rehabilitation. Researchers will explore how VR-based therapy can improve motor learning, balance, functional mobility and participation in people with neuromotor impairments.

According to the World Health Organization reports, cerebrovascular accidents or stroke are the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability. Cerebrovascular accidents doubles every decade after age 55 and it was estimated that by 2050, the number of persons over 65 years old would increase by 73% in the industrialized countries and by 207% worldwide. Stroke survivors experience hemiparesis, resulting in impairment of upper extremities (hand plays a critical role in upper limb function with various cortical and subcortical structures, which are devoted to its sensorimotor control) associated with diminished health-related quality of life.

Immediate therapy by rehabilitation specialists and early home rehabilitation have been proved to have a significant impact on motor recovery and became a sustainable solution for the healthcare system. Active participation in repetitive hand/arm exercise through the VERSUS robotic platform is important for stroke rehabilitation training. Researches have demonstrated that stroke patients actively involved in functional tasks can promote brain neuroplasticity and that functional recovery of hemiparetic limbs can continue even years after the brain injury. The recovery of upper limb, after stroke injuries, is complex and requires multidisciplinary and multifactorial approaches but there is increasing evidence for the effectiveness of virtual reality-based therapy in stroke rehabilitation.

Currently, the VERSUS project, is designed to be used in hospitals. The Biorobotics Institute researchers will develop a new tele-rehabilitation robotic system for delivering therapy to stroke patients at home, to:

  • facilitate the integration of VR-based therapy and immersive systems into clinical practice for rehabilitation, task-oriented training and multisensory feedback;

  • develop and evaluate the effectiveness of wearable sensors for motor learning and functional recovery in combination with touch screen computers and user-friendly graphical interface;

  • develop modular tools and use virtual kinematic parameters for virtual sizes, distances and size of targets to be normalized to the patient’s body size in order to monitor inclination or rotation during arm movements. The aim of the therapy is to improve arm workspace and reaching velocity. In this scenario, a virtual arm holds virtual targets placed within or at the border of the patient's 3D workspace.

Click here for details and information about the VERSUS project.

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