Robot-aided rehabilitation of neural function in the upper extremities.
Repetitive movements can improve muscle strength and movement coordination in patients with neurological disorders and impairments. Robot-aided approaches can serve to enhance the rehabilitation process. They can not only improve the therapeutic outcome but also support clinical evaluation and increase the patient motivation. This chapter provides an overview of existing systems that can support the movement therapy of the upper extremities in subjects with neurological pathologies. The devices are compared with respect to technical function, clinical applicability, and clinical outcomes.
Riener
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Rehabilitation Engineering Group, Automatic Control Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland. riener@mavt.ethz.ch
D006801:Humans; D015915:Motion Therapy, Continuous Passive / Q000295:instrumentation*; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012371:Robotics; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*