Thursday, October 17, 2024
10/17/2024
Sensorimotor impairments typically persist after stroke, despite extensive clinical and research rehabilitation efforts to promote recovery through therapy. These impairments contribute to performance deficits in a variety of daily activities, negatively affecting social interactions, economic opportunities, and self-care. Thus, stroke remains the leading cause of major, long-term disability in adults in the U.S. In light of this situation, exploration of alternative means to restore function seem warranted. With recent technological advances, the potential for wearable assistive devices to mitigate the effects of these performance deficits has grown considerably. These assistive devices (intended to make an immediate change in function without necessarily modifying the underlying impairment) have the power to allow users to regain control of movement of their arms and legs and to sense those motions even when the neural damage remains. Yet, current use of assistive devices to address functional loss is quite limited, beyond the passive canes and orthoses that have been used for decades. Rehabilitation efforts for people with chronic sensorimotor deficits after stroke continue to focus on therapy rather than assistance, partially driven by a history of poor adoption of technology. The proposed Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC), Assisting Stroke Survivors with Engineering Technology (ASSET), will explicitly address key challenges slowing uptake of assistive devices by stroke survivors. In comparison with therapeutic technology, successful adoption of assistive devices presents a unique set of issues that warrant independent examination. In addition to common concerns for wearable devices such as mass and power sources, the requirements for assistive devices should include fostering a synergistic connection between the user and the device. The six projects supported by the ASSET Center will focus on different aspects of human-machi ne synergy: 1) training the user to optimize device assistance; 2) designing the device to adapt to different environments; 2) providing the user with augmented sensory feedback of task performance; 4) facilitating mechanical coupling and communication between the user and device; 5) improving walking balance through real-time user monitoring; and 6) enhancing control of distal limb orientation for improved task performance. Stroke survivors and their caregivers will participate throughout the process to provide feedback and insight. The successful adoption of technology is highly dependent on education, dissemination and training efforts. The Center will strive to involved all stakeholders in these endeavors, including stroke survivors, caregivers, care providers, and researchers. While the efforts of the ASSET RERC will address technology for specific limbs and joints, the Center outcomes will have relevance for other devices and body segments, thereby widely impacting the field of assistive technology that enhances functional task performance for people with stroke.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
