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  4. Recovery of Distal Arm Movements in Spinal Cord Injured Patients with a Body-Machine Interface: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Recovery of Distal Arm Movements in Spinal Cord Injured Patients with a Body-Machine Interface: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Sensors, 2021 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/s21062243 · Published: March 23, 2021

Spinal Cord InjuryAssistive TechnologyNeurology

Simple Explanation

This study explores using a Body-Machine Interface (BoMI) to help people with cervical spinal cord injuries (cSCI) regain arm movement, especially in the elbow. The BoMI uses sensors on the arms to detect movement and translate it into actions, like controlling a computer cursor. The goal is to encourage the use of the forearms and promote symmetry in the use of right and left body sides. The results showed that participants improved their ability to use the interface and increased their forearm movement. Clinical tests also showed improvements in muscle strength and range of motion.

Study Duration
5 weeks
Participants
Five inpatient cSCI subjects (four acute, one chronic)
Evidence Level
Not specified

Key Findings

  • 1
    At the end of the training, all subjects learned to efficiently use the interface despite being compelled by it to engage their most impaired movements.
  • 2
    The subjects completed the training with bilateral symmetry in body recruitment, already present at the end of the familiarization, and they increased the forearm activity.
  • 3
    The elbow motion’s angular amplitude improved for all subjects, and other kinematic parameters showed a trend towards the normality range.

Research Summary

This study investigates the use of a Body-Machine Interface (BoMI) to improve upper limb mobility in patients with cervical spinal cord injuries (cSCI), focusing on elbow movements. Five cSCI subjects participated in a 5-week BoMI treatment alongside their standard rehabilitation, using sensors on their arms and forearms to promote symmetrical arm use and forearm mobility while playing games. The results indicate that the BoMI can be an effective rehabilitation tool for clinical practice, improving motor impairment and recovery in cSCI patients.

Practical Implications

Clinical Rehabilitation

BoMI can be integrated into clinical rehabilitation programs to target distal arm movements in cSCI patients.

Personalized Therapy

The BoMI can be tailored to individual patient needs to encourage specific movement patterns and promote symmetry.

Assessment Tool

The instrumental evaluation protocol and kinematic indicators can be used to assess motor impairment and recovery in cSCI patients.

Study Limitations

  • 1
    Small sample size of cSCI subjects.
  • 2
    Lack of a control cSCI group.
  • 3
    Potential for improvements to be partially due to spontaneous recovery.

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