Time Independent Functional Task Training: A case study on the effect of inter-joint coordination driven haptic guidance in stroke therapy

• Main Authors: Brokaw, E. B., Murray, T. M., Nef, T., Lum, P. S., Nichols, D., Holley, R. J.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomechanical Phenomena; coordination; Elbow; Female; haptics; Humans; Joints; Medical treatment; Middle Aged; Robot kinematics; robotics; Robotics - instrumentation; Robotics - methods; Shoulder; stroke; Stroke Rehabilitation; synergies; therapy; Training
• ISSN: 1945-7898; 1945-7901
• DOI: 10.1109/ICORR.2011.5975501

After a stroke abnormal joint coordination of the arm may limit functional movement and recovery. To aid in training inter-joint movement coordination a haptic guidance method for functional driven rehabilitation after stroke called Time Independent Functional Training (TIFT) has been developed for the ARMin III robot. The mode helps retraining inter-joint coordination during functional movements, such as putting an object on a shelf, pouring from a pitcher, and sorting objects into bins. A single chronic stroke subject was tested for validation of the modality. The subject was given 1.5 hrs of robotic therapy twice a week for 4 weeks. The therapy and the results of training the single stroke subject are discussed. The subject showed a decrease in training joint error for the sorting task across training sessions and increased self-selected movement time in training. In kinematic reaching analysis the subject showed improvements in range of motion and joint coordination in a reaching task, as well as improvements in supination-pronation range of motion at the wrist.