Ankle passive and active movement training in children with acute brain injury using a wearable robot
Kai Chen, Bo Xiong, Yupeng Ren, Assaf Y. Dvorkin, Deboah Gaebler-Spira, Charles E. Sisung, Li-Qun Zhang
Sensory-Motor Performance Prog, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 60611 Chicago, USA
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-2285
Lay Abstract
We tested ten children who were hospitalized with an acute brain injury. A rehabilitation robot passively stretched their ankle as well as guided their ankle movements while playing computer games. Ankle biomechanical measures and balance and gait performance were evaluated both within each therapy session and overall during the entire therapy. We found that their biomechanical as well as balance and gait performance significantly improved as therapy progressed. It could be concluded that providing children with acute brain injury with robotic motor training and ankle stretching, as early as possible following injury, is a useful tool to improve motor performance.
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