Patient-cooperative strategies for robot-aided treadmill training: first experimental results

Task-oriented repetitive movements can improve motor performance in patients with neurological or orthopaedic lesions. The application of robotics and automation technology can serve to assist, enhance, evaluate, and document neurological and orthopedic rehabilitation. This paper deals with the appl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering 2005-09, Vol.13 (3), p.380-394
Main Authors: Riener, R., Lunenburger, L., Jezernik, S., Anderschitz, M., Colombo, G., Dietz, V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptive control
Automatic control
biofeedback
Biological control systems
closed-loop control
Exercise Test - methods
feedback control
Gait Disorders, Neurologic - physiopathology
Gait Disorders, Neurologic - rehabilitation
gait therapy
Hospitals
Humans
impedance control
Laboratories
Leg - physiopathology
Medical treatment
Motion Therapy, Continuous Passive - methods
neuro-rehabilitation
Orthopedic surgery
Pilot Projects
Rehabilitation robotics
Robot kinematics
robotics
Robotics - methods
Robotics and automation
Robots
Spinal cord injury
Therapy, Computer-Assisted - methods
treadmill training
Treatment Outcome
User-Computer Interface
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Summary:Task-oriented repetitive movements can improve motor performance in patients with neurological or orthopaedic lesions. The application of robotics and automation technology can serve to assist, enhance, evaluate, and document neurological and orthopedic rehabilitation. This paper deals with the application of "patient-cooperative" techniques to robot-aided gait rehabilitation of neurological disorders. We define patient-cooperative to mean that, during movement, the technical system takes into account the patient's intention and voluntary efforts rather than imposing any predefined movements or inflexible strategies. It is hypothesized that such cooperative robotic approaches can improve the therapeutic outcome compared to classical rehabilitation strategies. New cooperative strategies are presented that detect the patient's voluntary efforts. First, this enables the patient increased freedom of movement by a certain amount of robot compliance. Second, the robot behavior adapts to the existing voluntary motor abilities. And third, the robotic system displays and improves the patient contribution by visual biofeedback. Initial experimental results are presented to evaluate the basic principle and technical function of proposed approaches. Further improvements of the technical design and additional clinical testing is required to prove whether the therapeutic outcome can be enhanced by such cooperative strategies.
ISSN:1534-4320
1558-0210
DOI:10.1109/TNSRE.2005.848628