Novel Design of a Rotation Centre Auto-Matched Ankle Rehabilitation Exoskeleton with Decoupled Control Capacity

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Tun Wang ◽  
Enea Olivoni ◽  
Emmanouil Spyrakos-Papastavridis ◽  
Rory J O'Connor ◽  
Jian S Dai

Abstract This paper presents a novel ankle rehabilitation exoskeleton for post-stroke patients, with its rotational centre automatically conforming with ankle complex once people wear it. This exoskeleton has 2 rotation DOFs and is able to provide 2 different rotation patterns by reconfiguring. In the combined-rotation pattern arrangement, the mechanism can generate all three kinds of rotations that the ankle complex is naturally capable of realising. Among these rotational motions, adduction/abduction rotation is coupled motion. This rotation can be further reduced, or eliminated, by minimizing the distance between the lower connection points of the actuated links and the human ankle complex, and vice versa. For the other rotation pattern, a 90-degree arrangement of the side link offers decoupled motion control of the mechanism. Numerical studies reveal that the required rehabilitation workspace for dynamical gait exercises can be achieved with high dexterity, without generating singularities. Further investigations indicate that this mechanism has great potential for rehabilitating post-stroke patients of a wide range of heights and weights.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Che Rabiaah Mohamed

<p>Many research studies have been done in relation to the educational needs of patients and families post-stroke based in Western countries but limited studies have been conducted in non-Western countries. This study explored the educational needs of home-based stroke patients (HBSP) and family caregivers in the Kelantan state located at the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The other areas of focus were to identify the resources available for HBSP and their families, the practice of health professionals in relation to the provision of information and education and the early rehabilitation needs for HBSP and family caregivers. A further aim was to develop education strategies that will help patients and their families to minimise risk of complication post-stroke and support the advancement of their quality of life. This study used a qualitative approach guided by a theoretical framework "Stroke Care Community Model (SCCM)" developed for this research. This study was in two phases. Phase 1 involved semi-structured interviews with three kinds of participants: stroke patients (n=5), family caregivers (n= 5) and key members from health professional groups (n=12). Phase 1 established the educational activities currently received and needed by patients and families. Phase 2 involved presenting the findings from Phase 1 to the previously interviewed health professionals through focus groups and individual interviews with the aim of establishing priorities and processes to develop education strategies for HBSP and their families. The findings revealed that the provision of information and education does not meet the needs of many patients and families. There is no national or local programme provided to address patients' and families' needs. The educational needs are on a wide range of topics including the nature and the impacts of stroke, how and why stroke happens, how to prevent stroke recurring, prevention of complications and promoting faster recovery. The need for skills on managing patients at home include positioning, strengthening, mobilisation, prevention of complications, feeding, swallowing, managing co-morbid conditions, basic exercise and safety. The findings also revealed some needs are religiously and culturally bound around prayer and traditional healthcare practice such as urutan tradisional (traditional massage). Prayer and reciting Holy Qur'an are part of cognitive training, coping strategies, rehabilitation therapy and a source of psychological support. Therefore, there is a need to take the knowledge of what makes a difference to health outcomes of patients and families in a western context and work with this, utilising what is important in the culture of people at a local level. The next step to progress addressing educational needs requires a structured approach involving the formation of a multi-disciplinary stroke team that incorporates cultural and religious practice.</p>


Author(s):  
Dr. Manish Bhardwaj ◽  
Dr. R. K. Sureka ◽  
Dr. Surendra Kumar Meena ◽  
Dr. Neha Jain

The occupational therapy has a decisive role in restoring fine motor skills in post stroke patients. The purpose of this study was to compile all the information pertaining to the assessment and treatment performed by occupational therapist. This study amass the complete personification of occupational therapy from the need of theoretical basis to the practical treatment aspects. The study covers the basic idea of stroke and complications arose in the normal movements and leads towards the complete functional aspects of the motor function of human hand. The position of occupational therapy in a rehabilitation team and a detailed knowledge of areas of occupational therapy related to fine motor skills helps to grab the evaluation process used and treatment protocol prescribed to restore fine motor skills after stroke. It helps to gain a detailed know-how of tools and instruments used for assessment and techniques used in the treatment of stroke that focuses on fine motor skills. This study reveals that occupational therapy as its specialty in hand rehabilitation has a wide range of assessments, treatment and management protocols to pursue the treatment of a variety of areas of hand rehabilitation including fine motor skills after an event of stroke


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Che Rabiaah Mohamed

<p>Many research studies have been done in relation to the educational needs of patients and families post-stroke based in Western countries but limited studies have been conducted in non-Western countries. This study explored the educational needs of home-based stroke patients (HBSP) and family caregivers in the Kelantan state located at the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The other areas of focus were to identify the resources available for HBSP and their families, the practice of health professionals in relation to the provision of information and education and the early rehabilitation needs for HBSP and family caregivers. A further aim was to develop education strategies that will help patients and their families to minimise risk of complication post-stroke and support the advancement of their quality of life. This study used a qualitative approach guided by a theoretical framework "Stroke Care Community Model (SCCM)" developed for this research. This study was in two phases. Phase 1 involved semi-structured interviews with three kinds of participants: stroke patients (n=5), family caregivers (n= 5) and key members from health professional groups (n=12). Phase 1 established the educational activities currently received and needed by patients and families. Phase 2 involved presenting the findings from Phase 1 to the previously interviewed health professionals through focus groups and individual interviews with the aim of establishing priorities and processes to develop education strategies for HBSP and their families. The findings revealed that the provision of information and education does not meet the needs of many patients and families. There is no national or local programme provided to address patients' and families' needs. The educational needs are on a wide range of topics including the nature and the impacts of stroke, how and why stroke happens, how to prevent stroke recurring, prevention of complications and promoting faster recovery. The need for skills on managing patients at home include positioning, strengthening, mobilisation, prevention of complications, feeding, swallowing, managing co-morbid conditions, basic exercise and safety. The findings also revealed some needs are religiously and culturally bound around prayer and traditional healthcare practice such as urutan tradisional (traditional massage). Prayer and reciting Holy Qur'an are part of cognitive training, coping strategies, rehabilitation therapy and a source of psychological support. Therefore, there is a need to take the knowledge of what makes a difference to health outcomes of patients and families in a western context and work with this, utilising what is important in the culture of people at a local level. The next step to progress addressing educational needs requires a structured approach involving the formation of a multi-disciplinary stroke team that incorporates cultural and religious practice.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. e0302107
Author(s):  
Olga Kovalenko ◽  
Maryna Chizhukova

Introduction Vascular and cerebrovascular diseases remain an actual problem of modern society. More than 70% of post-stroke patients suffered from different pains. Although a headache is the common complaint of post-stroke patients it is not described good in specialized literature and its pathophysiology has not yet been sufficiently studied. In order to relieve headaches, the patients usually use a lot of medicaments often without an agreement with a doctor. Since unnecessary polypharmacy is ineffective and leads to a wide range of adverse effects, the search for pathogenically valid and effective alternative approaches deserves the great attention. Acupuncture is one of such approaches. Methods We analyzed 2 groups of patients who had the stroke in anamnesis and suffered from a headache: the main (acupuncture) group (n = 30) that underwent acupuncture and traditional medications and the control group that received medication alone (n = 30). The average age of patients in the main group was 70 (SD 8.06) years. Among them 13 women and 17 men. The average age of participants in the control group was 70.3 (SD 9.00) years and it included 8  and 22 individuals of male and female gender. In both groups, the ischemic stroke type predominated. Most patients in both groups were in residual stroke period. Along with the corporal acupuncture we used a combined method which included an effect on several microsystems. Evaluation of a headache was based on 4 criteria: intensity, duration, characteristics, and localization. Results The data analysis showed that the complex treatment of a headache including combined acupuncture method statistically significantly (p<0.05) affects three indicators of a headache - intensity, duration, and characteristics. The pain localization had a tendency to positive changes (p<0.1). Control group showed good results (p<0.05) only on two headache indicators - intensity and duration, whereas the effect of treatment on pain characteristics and localization was not significant. The comparative analysis of the treatment results of the two groups demonstrated the statistically significant positive effect (p<0,05) in favor to acupuncture on the four headache criteria: intensity, duration, characteristics, and localization. Conclusion Acupuncture in the complex treatment of post-stroke patients significantly reduces a headache in comparison to standard treatment alone. It can allow improving the effectiveness of rehabilitation and quality of life.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-237
Author(s):  
Hana Larasati ◽  
Theresia Titin Marlina

Background: stroke is a disorder of nervous system function that occurs suddenly and is caused by brain bleeding disorders that can affect the quality of life physical dimensions, social dimensions, psychological dimensions, environmental dimensions. Based on the result of Lumbu study (2015) the number of samples were 71 people collected data using the (WHOQOL-BREF). There were 56 people (78,9%) had the poor quality of life of post stroke. The mean of post-stroke quality of life domain was physical domain (45,27%), psychological domain (49,87%), social relations domain (48,15%) and environmental domain (50.01%). Objective: the purpose of the study was know the quality of life of the stroke patients in Outpatient Polyclinic of Private Hospital in Yogyakarta. Methods: used descriptive quantitative by using questionnaire test of purposive sampling system based on patients who have been affected of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke before, number 30 respondents. Result: quality of life of stroke patient of medium physical dimension (67%), psychological dimension (71%), social dimension (67%), dimension good environment (63%). Conclusion: the quality of life of stroke patients of physical dimension, psychological dimension, and moderate social dimension, while the quality of life of stroke patients were good environmental dimension.   Keywords: Hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, quality of life


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