Browse the latest research summaries in the field of assistive technology for spinal cord injury patients and caregivers.
Showing 341-350 of 581 results
IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng., 2015 • July 1, 2015
The study evaluated two facial sEMG-based systems (discrete and continuous) for controlling an on-screen keyboard. Participants trained on one system and then used the other in a crossover session. Th...
KEY FINDING: Users of the continuous system achieved higher information transfer rates (ITRs) than those using the discrete system, both initially and after training.
Sensors, 2015 • February 16, 2015
This study presents a real-time pressure-monitoring system for fastening systems in powered robotic exoskeletons, aimed at preventing skin injuries by monitoring pressure exerted by the straps. The sy...
KEY FINDING: The pressure monitoring system successfully recorded pressure dynamics in the fastening straps of a lower-limb exoskeleton for both able-bodied and SCI subjects.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 2017 • March 1, 2017
This study investigated the equity of wheelchair provision to Veterans with SCI or AL, focusing on racial disparities and the influence of patient characteristics on wheelchair quality. The results in...
KEY FINDING: There were no significant racial differences in the quality of wheelchairs prescribed to African American and White veterans.
IEEE Trans Biomed Circuits Syst, 2012 • December 1, 2012
The intraoral Tongue Drive System (iTDS) is a tongue-operated, minimally invasive, unobtrusive, and wireless assistive technology that infers users’ intentions by detecting their voluntary tongue moti...
KEY FINDING: The iTDS system-on-a-chip (SoC) features a configurable analog front-end (AFE) that reads the magnetic field variations inside the mouth from four 3-axial magnetoresistive sensors.
Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil, 2015 • January 1, 2015
The study aimed to test the safety and acceptance of a tongue-piercing protocol in people with tetraplegia for use with the Tongue Drive System (TDS). Thirteen participants with tetraplegia underwent ...
KEY FINDING: Careful participant selection and a medically supervised piercing protocol were associated with no excess risk of tongue piercing and wearing a tongue barbell in people with tetraplegia.
Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil, 2015 • January 1, 2015
This study details the development and validation of the electronic Mobile Shower Commode Assessment Tool Version 1.0 (eMAST 1.0), a questionnaire designed to assess the usability of mobile shower com...
KEY FINDING: The electronic Mobile Shower Commode Assessment Tool Version 1.0 (eMAST 1.0) questionnaire tests MSC features and performance during activities identified using a mixed-methods approach and in consultation with users.
Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2016 • September 30, 2016
The study investigated the feasibility of using an auditory P300 BCI for communication using the Japanese Hiragana syllabary, focusing on the impact of training on performance. Results indicated that ...
KEY FINDING: Four out of six healthy participants reached Hiragana syllable accuracies above 70% after training.
The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2018 • January 1, 2018
The study compared the energy efficiency of WPAL with MSH-KAFO (HALO or Primewalk) in patients with SCI using a 6-minute walk test and consecutive walking challenges. Results showed that WPAL required...
KEY FINDING: WPAL demonstrated greater energy efficiency compared to MSH-KAFO, indicating a lower gait demand.
PLoS ONE, 2015 • March 24, 2015
This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of the MoreGait device for home-based robotic locomotion therapy in individuals with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). The results indicated th...
KEY FINDING: Home-based robotic locomotion training with MoreGait is feasible and safe.
Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 2015 • March 26, 2015
This systematic review evaluated the feasibility and effects of using the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) system for gait training in individuals with lower extremity paresis. The review included seven st...
KEY FINDING: The HAL system is feasible for gait training in patients with lower extremity paresis within a professional setting.