Reducing spasticity during intensive exercise practice and functional improvement in Cerebral palsy patients

In the February edition of Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology http://bit.ly/fFQuGZ Dr. Ryll from Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University report on the effects of leg muscle botulinum toxin A injections on walking in children with spasticity-related cerebral palsy: His team reviewed randomized controlled trials assessing functional outcomes on walking of children with CP following botulinum toxin injection. The team conclude that the use of BoNT-A with usual care or physiotherapy seems to improve walking of children with CP.

The HandTutor, ArmTutor are upper extremity arm, hand - finger/s wrist and lower extremity rehabilitation systems that encourage active exercise practice by motivating the patient to perform virtual functional exercise tasks. The virtual functional tasks work on interjoint coordination as well as other movement parameters including range of motion, speed and strength of movement. When combined with task practice the HandTutor and ArmTutor for upper extremity fine motor skill neuro rehabilitation and the LegTutor for lower extremity rehabilitation have been proven to improve functional movement performance in CP patients.

Effects of Exercise on Quality of Life in Stroke Survivors (HRQoL)

In the February edition of stroke http://bit.ly/i3MCI2 Dr. Ming-De Chen of Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, Chicago USA detail clinical trials that support the use of exercise to improve health related quality of life in stroke survivors. They conclude that the challenge for researchers is identifying effective strategies for sustaining these effects post intervention.
The HandTutor, ArmTutor and LegTutor are upper arm, hand - finger/s wrist and lower extremity rehabilitation systems indicated for patients in rehabilitation centers, private clinics and the home care environment. The home care patient can benefit from tele-rehabilitation. The HandTutor and other Tutor systems use dedicated rehabilitation software that employs motivating games that can be customized to the stage of rehabilitation and the patient’s movement dysfunction. The virtual functional tasks employed ensure that the patient undertakes intensive repetitive active exercise practice with the games being motivating and well tolerated. The HandTutor, ArmTutor and LegTutor systems have been shown to sustain patient functional improvement post intervention.

Isolated, combined and co-ordinated exercise practice improves functional movement ability in spinal cord injury patients

In the February edition of the Journal of Neuro Engineering and Rehabilitation 2011 http://bit.ly/ggKWEw Dr. Angel Gil-Agudo and his group from the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Hospital for Spinal Cord Injury Toledo Spain report on Gait kinematic analysis in patients with a mild form of central cord syndrome
Central cord syndrome (CCS) is considered the most common incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). CCS accounts for approximately 9% of traumatic SCIs. It is characterized by disproportionately greater motor impairment in upper compared to lower extremities.
The gait characteristics of subjects with CCS compared with healthy subjects. The gait pattern of CCS patients showed a decrease of knee and ankle sagittal ROM during level walking and an increase in hip abduction to increase base of support.
The HandTutor, ArmTutor and LegTutor systems incorporate the concept of virtual functional tasks. These tasks allow the patient to be given intensive active exercise practice and targeted movement feedback on the position of one, two or more joints. The HandTutor, LegTutor and 3DT Tutor provide both feedback on the patients movement ability and instructions on how to move the joint in association with another joint. This allows the patient to practice isolated and combined movements of the hip and knee and ankle when they work with the LegTutor and 3DTTutor. When the patient works with the HandTutor and ArmTutor system they practice isolated and combined movements of the shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers. This allows the patient to do intensive task practice that will teach them how to do coordinated movements of two or more joints. Motor learning that teaches the patient how to move more than two joints in a coordinated pattern will improve functional movement ability and the performance of the everyday tasks e.g. walking and reaching.

Bimanual Upper Limb Training in stroke

In the January edition BMC neurology http://bit.ly/eEXL5d Dr. Sleimen-Malkoun and her team from Institut des Sciences du Mouvement CNRS & Université de
la Méditerranée, Marseille, France and Laveran, Service de Réhabilitation Fonctionnelle, 13 Marseille, France discuss bimanual training strategies to help clinicians to adapt therapy in order
to maximize rehabilitation benefits.

The HandTutor and ArmTutor systems incorporates virtual functional task practice that includes bilateral training techniques that allow for intensive practice using both upper limbs.
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