LegTutor and 3DTutor indicated for Active Movement Rehabilitation of Lower-Limb Impairments in Children With Cerebral Palsy

In the May edition of Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair http://bit.ly/equBpT Dr. Yi-Ning Wu from Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA and Dr. Miriam Hwang from Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea study Combined Passive Stretching and Active Movement Rehabilitation of Lower-Limb Impairments in Children With Cerebral Palsy using a portable robot. The group found that Passive stretching combined with engaging in active movement training was of benefit in this pilot study for children with CP. They demonstrated improvements in joint biomechanical properties, motor control performance, and functional capability in balance and mobility.
The LegTutor and 3DTutor trains isolated and combined hip, knee and ankle movement and focusses on leg motor control in order to improve functional walking outcome.

HandTutor, ArmTutor system improves functional movement outcomes

In the April edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American) http://bit.ly/iiSMgj Dr. Smitherman and his group from Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center, 701 Grove Road, USA investigated the functional outcomes, following single-event multilevel surgery of the upper extremity in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. The group found that children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy showed significantly improved dynamic segmental alignment and, to a lesser degree, spontaneous use of the upper extremity following single-event multilevel surgery compared with a comparable nonoperative control group. However, the grasp-release ability did not significantly improve in either the operative or nonoperative group.
The HandTutor and ArmTutor system is used to train patients through intensive exercise practice to use their impaired arms and hands and improve their functional movement ability.

Neurotransmitter could improve post-stroke rehabilitation

Neurotransmitter could improve post-stroke rehabilitation

March 10, 2011
Christian Grefkes from the Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research in cooperation with scientists from the Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine of the Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Department of Neurology of the University Hospital of Cologne looked at eleven stroke patients (between 42 and 74 years old) with fine motor deficits. The group carried out a range of motor tasks which involved the determination of maximum grip power and finger-tapping frequency and the execution of pointing movements. The group showed that by reducing the rate of uptake of noradrenaline which in effect prolongs the efficiency of noradrenaline improves motor skills in stroke patient.

Intensive active exercise practice provided by the HandTutor, ArmTutor and LegTutor system has proven effective in improving functional movement ability in post stroke patients.

HandTutor, ArmTutor, LegTutor, plasticity and functional outcome measures

In the March edition of Neurorehabil Neural Repair Dr. Butler and his team from Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine and Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center, Atlanta, GA, USA show a correlation between clinical outcome measures, such as the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the upper limb portion of the Fugl-Meyer (FM) motor assessment, and neuroimaging techniques, such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and blood oxygenation level–dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Treatment using virtual functional tasks provided by the HandTutor, ArmTutor, LegTutor system have been proven to improve the patients functional ability in neurological and orthopedic injuries and disease.

HandTutor system active exercise to prevent hand and wrist contractures

In the February edition of NeuroRehabilitation http://bit.ly/emURPW Dr. Harvey and her team from Rehabilitation Studies Unit, Northern Clinical School, Sydney School of Medicine, University of Sydney, Australia discuss the management of contractures in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Contract ures are a common and disabling problem for people with spinal cord injuries and they are a complex and multifactorial problem to manage. Contractures have largely been managed with physical interventions such as stretch and passive movements and the use of orthotic devices. The objective is to ensure that contractures do not occur by maintaining soft tissue movement.
The HandTutor, ArmTutor and LegTutor systems encourages intensive active exercise practice. The patient is encouraged to flex and extend their fingers, wrist, elbow shoulder, knee and hip joints in order to prevent contractures.

Rehabilitation outcome in traumatic and non traumatic brain injury

In the February edition of Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine http://bit.ly/ig2zcW Dr. Colantonio and his team from the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute analyze data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information’s National Rehabilitation Reporting System on brain injuries, and inpatient rehabilitation treatment outcome. His group found that approximately half of acquired brain injury patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation had non-traumatic causes of brain injury. Traumatic brain injury patients were more likely to be younger, male, from rural areas, and to make greater gains in rehabilitation. Differences were found in the types and numbers of comorbidities. However, patients from these 2 groups had similar lengths of rehabilitation stay.
The HandTutor, ArmTutor and LegTutor system offer the possibility to do intensive massed and motivated exercise practice and are used in both traumatic and non traumatic brain injury patients.