NTU develops new stroke rehabilitation system
The Nanyang Technological University has developed a new stroke rehabilitation system to accelerate a stroke patient's recovery.
To do that, it brings together the mind and body, helping stroke patients further recover muscle control in parts of the body that have stopped seeing progress -- even after extended periods of rehabilitation.
The system is known as SynPhNe, which stands for Synergistic Physio-Neuro Platform, and it monitors signals from the patient's brain and muscles as they mimic instructional videos.
These signals, in the form of simple visual cues allow the patient to know if the right muscle is activated. This is known as associative learning, whereby the patient finds out the link between cause and effect, or intent and physical result, so that they can self-correct movements to match intended actions.
The people behind SynPhNe said it takes advantage of the disconnect between muscle and brain post-stroke.
Banerji Subhasis, a PhD student at Nanyang Technological University, said: "For stroke patients, when you ask them to activate one particular muscle, they activate some other muscle, which really does not relate to the action at all. And this happens because they are trying to compensate one way or the other, building up these habits."
The system also provides feedback on stress, attention and relaxation levels in real time. This allows the patient and therapist to better manage the intensity of the rehabilitation.
Ang Kok Tong, a stroke patient using the system, said: "Last time my fingers were closed, now they can open. Now I can do more things, like holding a bottle, turning the pages (of a book). You can know what is happening to your brain and your muscle, because you can get a feedback from there. So you feel encouraged."
As patients become more confident and grow more independent, therapists can tend to more patients at one time.
The system can also be used by a wide spectrum of stroke patients -- even those showing little promise of recovery.
Mr Subhasis added: "In some cases, the signals are very weak. However our system amplifies it to such an extent that it becomes visible and obvious to the patient. And we know that once the patient gains control over even small movements, through repetitive trianing, it can be made stronger and stronger."
The team behind SynPhNe is still carrying out patient trials in hospitals, before getting approval to conduct a large scale clinical trial. They intend to commercialise the system in three years.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
The Nanyang Technological University has developed a new stroke rehabilitation system to accelerate a stroke patient's recovery.
To do that, it brings together the mind and body, helping stroke patients further recover muscle control in parts of the body that have stopped seeing progress -- even after extended periods of rehabilitation.
The system is known as SynPhNe, which stands for Synergistic Physio-Neuro Platform, and it monitors signals from the patient's brain and muscles as they mimic instructional videos.
These signals, in the form of simple visual cues allow the patient to know if the right muscle is activated. This is known as associative learning, whereby the patient finds out the link between cause and effect, or intent and physical result, so that they can self-correct movements to match intended actions.
The people behind SynPhNe said it takes advantage of the disconnect between muscle and brain post-stroke.
Banerji Subhasis, a PhD student at Nanyang Technological University, said: "For stroke patients, when you ask them to activate one particular muscle, they activate some other muscle, which really does not relate to the action at all. And this happens because they are trying to compensate one way or the other, building up these habits."
The system also provides feedback on stress, attention and relaxation levels in real time. This allows the patient and therapist to better manage the intensity of the rehabilitation.
Ang Kok Tong, a stroke patient using the system, said: "Last time my fingers were closed, now they can open. Now I can do more things, like holding a bottle, turning the pages (of a book). You can know what is happening to your brain and your muscle, because you can get a feedback from there. So you feel encouraged."
As patients become more confident and grow more independent, therapists can tend to more patients at one time.
The system can also be used by a wide spectrum of stroke patients -- even those showing little promise of recovery.
Mr Subhasis added: "In some cases, the signals are very weak. However our system amplifies it to such an extent that it becomes visible and obvious to the patient. And we know that once the patient gains control over even small movements, through repetitive trianing, it can be made stronger and stronger."
The team behind SynPhNe is still carrying out patient trials in hospitals, before getting approval to conduct a large scale clinical trial. They intend to commercialise the system in three years.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
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