Background: The Effects of Stroke and Current Rehabilitation Therapy
A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when there is a disturbance in the blood supply to the brain, which leads to neurological damage. Untreated stroke can lead to death. Strokes tend to result in a wide variety of negative conditions, depending on the region of the brain that is damaged and to what extent the damage occurs. Physically, this could result in ataxia (trouble walking due to imbalance), dysphagia (trouble swallowing), and hemiparesis. The damage may also manifest as emotional instability, inability to understand language, observe the visual field contralateral to the affected side of the brain, or general cognitive impairments, including memory loss. Stroke is extremely prevalent, affecting more than 795,000 people per year in the U.S., resulting in about 130,000 deaths. It has been estimated that about 75% of stroke survivors are disabled to the point of decreasing their employability, which contributes to the $38.6 billion economic impact of stroke per year in the U.S.
One of the most common disabilities among stroke survivors is hemiparesis, affecting roughly 80% of stroke survivors. If the stroke damages the primary motor cortices of the brain, the muscles of the body contralateral to the effected brain region exhibit weakness, decreasing usability of limbs and digits. Hemiparesis occurs to varying degrees, sometimes impacting patients in minor ways, such as fine dexterous movements (i.e. handwriting), and sometimes completely paralyzing one half of the body (hemiplegia). A significant portion of standard stroke rehabilitation procedures focus on attempting to regain motion and dexterity in the affected limbs through the application of different exercises, therapy regimens, and occasionally devices.
The most common rehabilitation techniques focus on repeatedly exercising the affected limb in an attempt to regain strength and control. Occasionally, electrical methods are used to facilitate muscle movement, allowing the patient to complete motions they would otherwise be unable to perform. These methods have been shown to be effective, but suffer from a host of problems, including the lack of sensory output from the exercises. Our project seeks to remedy this particular shortcoming.
Sources:
1) http://www.cdc.gov/stroke/about.htm
2) http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hemiparesis
3) http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/poststrokerehab.htm
One of the most common disabilities among stroke survivors is hemiparesis, affecting roughly 80% of stroke survivors. If the stroke damages the primary motor cortices of the brain, the muscles of the body contralateral to the effected brain region exhibit weakness, decreasing usability of limbs and digits. Hemiparesis occurs to varying degrees, sometimes impacting patients in minor ways, such as fine dexterous movements (i.e. handwriting), and sometimes completely paralyzing one half of the body (hemiplegia). A significant portion of standard stroke rehabilitation procedures focus on attempting to regain motion and dexterity in the affected limbs through the application of different exercises, therapy regimens, and occasionally devices.
The most common rehabilitation techniques focus on repeatedly exercising the affected limb in an attempt to regain strength and control. Occasionally, electrical methods are used to facilitate muscle movement, allowing the patient to complete motions they would otherwise be unable to perform. These methods have been shown to be effective, but suffer from a host of problems, including the lack of sensory output from the exercises. Our project seeks to remedy this particular shortcoming.
Sources:
1) http://www.cdc.gov/stroke/about.htm
2) http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hemiparesis
3) http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/poststrokerehab.htm