title: Pulsed assistance: a new paradigm of robot training.
abstract: In this preliminary study we compare continuous with pulsed robot assistance in five chronic stroke survivors with a mild degree of spasticity, with the aim of promoting volitional effort and reducing assistance during a reaching task. The protocol consists of one familiarization session and a single training session during which a manipulandum provides subjects with pulsed or continuous assistance in random order. The basic level of assistive force is calibrated for each subject and is the same for both modalities; however, the average force during continuous assistance is about twice the average force in pulsed assistance. In spite of this, the results show that pulsed assistance allows subjects to reach similar performance levels as compared to continuous assistance after a single training session. Moreover, we introduce a novel kinematic-based measure to assess voluntary participation of subjects during the rehabilitation task, which is only applicable with pulsed assistance.
authors.forename: Dalia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Santis
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Masia
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morasso
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Squeri
authors.forename: Jacopo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zenzeri
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casadio
authors.forename: Assunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis