Neuro-Rehabilitation Therapy with T-FLEX Ankle Exoskeleton and Serious Games: A Case Study

Area of Science:

• Neurorehabilitation
• Robotics in Medicine
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) can cause permanent disabilities like foot drop, impacting gait and increasing fall risk.
• Robotic-assisted therapy, particularly with serious games, shows potential for improving gait in rehabilitation.
• Existing therapies often focus on device assistance rather than patient-driven movement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the effects of T-FLEX exoskeleton therapy using Automated Therapy (AT) versus Serious Game Therapy (SGT) in two ABI patients with foot drop.
• To compare the user-robot interaction torque and functional outcomes between AT and SGT.
• To assess the potential of SGT for motor recovery in ABI patients.

Main Methods:

• Two ABI patients with foot drop participated in the study.
• Each participant underwent six assisted therapy sessions using the T-FLEX exoskeleton for both AT and SGT.
• User-robot interaction torque and functional assessments, including range of motion (ROM), were measured.

Main Results:

• Automated Therapy (AT) increased user-robot interaction torque (10-70%), while Serious Game Therapy (SGT) decreased it (5%), indicating SGT required more patient effort.
• SGT induced significant improvements (over 50%) in paretic ankle and knee range of motion (ROM).
• SGT resulted in better ankle control and increased gait speed compared to AT.

Conclusions:

• Serious Game Therapy (SGT) with the T-FLEX exoskeleton may be a more effective rehabilitation strategy than AT for ABI-related foot drop.
• SGT's approach, requiring active patient participation, appears to promote motor recovery and functional gait improvements.
• Further research is warranted to validate SGT's efficacy in a larger ABI patient cohort.