Using a novel rehabilitation device that converts an individual’s thoughts to electrical impulses to move upper extremities, stroke patients reported improvements in their motor function and ability to perform activities of daily living. A multidisciplinary team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison built the device, and presented their results at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

The researchers built the new rehabilitation device by pairing a functional electrical stimulation (FES) system, used to help stroke patients recover limb function, and a brain control interface (BCI), which provides a direct communication pathway between the brain and this peripheral stimulation device.

In an FES system, electrical currents are used to activate nerves in paralyzed extremities. Using a computer and an electrode cap placed on the head, the new BCI-FES device (called the Closed-Loop Neural Activity-Triggered Stroke Rehabilitation Device) interprets electrical impulses from the brain and transmits the information to the FES.

When a patient using this device is asked to imagine or attempt to move his or her hand, the BCI translates that brain activity to a signal that triggers the FES. The system adds an active component to the rehabilitation by linking brain activity to the peripheral stimulation device, which gives the patients direct control over their movement."

The Wisconsin team conducted a small clinical trial of their rehabilitation device, enlisting eight patients with one hand affected by stroke. The patients were also able to serve as a control group by using their normal, unaffected hand. Patients in the study represented a wide range of stroke severity and amount of time elapsed since the stroke occurred. Despite having received standard rehabilitative care, the patients had varying degrees of residual motor deficits in their upper extremities. Each underwent nine to 15 rehabilitation sessions of two to three hours with the new device over a period of three to six weeks.

The patients also underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) before, at the mid-point of, at the end of, and one month following the rehabilitation period. fMRI is able to show which areas of the brain are activated while the patient performs a task, and DTI reveals the integrity of fibers within the white matter that connects the brain's functional areas.

Patients who suffered a stroke of moderate severity realized the greatest improvements to motor function following the rehabilitation sessions. Patients diagnosed with mild and severe strokes reported improved ability to complete activities of daily living following rehabilitation.

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