October 30, 2024 – Dr. Alessandro Specchia, a PM&R physician and coordinator of our Outpatient Clinic, discussed the REHYB Horizon 2020 EU Project
On World Stroke Day, we spoke with Dr. Alessandro Specchia, a PM&R physician and coordinator of the Outpatient Clinic at Villa Beretta Rehabilitation Centre. The conversation centered on REHYB Horizon 2020 EU Project, a recently concluded research project that spanned four years and involved multiple European clinical and technical partners.
- The project’s full name was “Rehabilitation based on hybrid neuroprostesis: evaluation of the feasibility, functionality and usability of the system in a post-stroke patient population” and its goal was to assess the feasibility and, to some extent, the effectiveness of rehabilitative treatment for upper limb impairment in patients recovering from a stroke.
- The project had its own unique characteristics. Patients were introduced to a prototype hybrid exoskeleton that seamlessly and synchronously integrated a multimodal approach to upper limb treatment. This innovative device combined a motorized or spring-loaded exoskeleton to enhance upper limb movement, the activation of upper limb muscles through functional electrical stimulation, and a virtual reality training environment that simulates upper limb movements involved in activities of daily living.
- Although the study primarily focused on the feasibility of the proposed treatment and the prototype platform, the integration of the different devices and softwares produced promising results regarding effectiveness. Specifically, the ability to combine electrical stimulation with a physiological and natural position of the upper limb led to improved treatment outcomes. It is important to emphasize that the application of artificial intelligence in integrating the different hardware and software components was crucial for enhancing the physiological activation and movement of the upper limb.
- It was also observed that there was an improvement in the performance of the non-affected limb, which is known from the literature to be impaired due to probable involvement of interhemispheric pathways during complex movements and activities. These results give hope for the potential recovery of function in both upper limbs of post-stroke patients.
