Robotic devices and brain-machine interfaces for hand rehabilitation post-stroke

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Science
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Stroke rehabilitation increasingly utilizes personalized and at-home treatment options.
• Robotic-aided hand physiotherapy has seen rapid device development for stroke recovery.
• Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) are emerging as key technologies in this field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state of robotic-aided hand physiotherapy for post-stroke rehabilitation.
• To examine the integration of brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) in these systems.
• To identify device design strategies and recovery outcome improvements.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive review of robotic-aided hand physiotherapy devices and BMI systems.
• Analysis of 110 commercial and non-commercial hand and wrist devices.
• Focus on end-effector and exoskeleton designs and their control strategies.

Main Results:

• Evidence supports the efficacy of incorporating BMIs in stroke rehabilitation.
• Robotic devices, including exoskeletons and end-effectors, show promise for hand recovery.
• Challenges exist in integrating robotic rehabilitation into existing healthcare systems.

Conclusions:

• Robotics offers novel insights for physiotherapy practice in stroke recovery.
• This review can guide system designers in developing advanced rehabilitation devices.
• Personalized robotic solutions, including BMIs, are crucial for future stroke rehabilitation.