New trends in neurorehabilitation of subjects with central nervous system lesions

Abstract

Medical management and rehabilitation do not reverse paralysis, i.e., alter the pathology and the impairment, but they have done much to improve the quality of life of persons with motor impairment by reducing their functional limitations. Rehabilitation technology requires a comprehensive approach that integrates the knowledge of physiology, psychology, biomechanics, engineering and physical and occupational therapy. In this review, the role of haptic robotics and electrical stimulation are presented with an emphasis on the future applications in clinics and possibly at home. More precisely, we present how the use of haptic robots that are assisting repetitive passive and active exercise contributes to the improvement of proximal joints (shoulder and elbow), while the use of functional electrical stimulation contributes to both proximal and distal joints of the paretic arm.