Functional Restoration for the Stroke
Survivor: Informing the Efforts of Engineers
James Patton,
Steven L. Small, and William Zev Rymer
Topics in Stroke Research (2008) 15 (6) 521-541
As bioengineers begin to notice the importance of therapy in the
recovery from stroke and other brain injuries, new technologies will be
increasingly conceived, adapted, and designed to improve the patient’s road to
recovery. What is clear from engineering history, however, is that the best
engineering efforts are often built on strong scientific foundations. In an
effort to inform engineers with the necessary background on cutting edge
research in the field of stroke and motor recovery, this article summarizes the
views of several experts in the field as a result of a workshop held in 2006 on
the topic. Here we elaborate on several areas relevant to this goal, including
the pathophysiology of stroke and stroke recovery, the biomechanics, the
secondary peripheral changes in muscle and other tissue, and the results of
neuroimaging studies. One conclusion is that the current state of knowledge is
now ripe for research using machines but that highly sophisticated robotic
devices may not yet be needed. Instead, what may be needed is basic evidence
that shows a difference in one therapeutic strategy over another.
Key words: CVA, control, movement, muscle, rehabilitation human, stroke