An active balance board system with real-time control of stiffness and time-delay to assess mechanisms of postural stability

Increased time-delay in the neuromuscular system caused by neurological disorders, concussions, or advancing age is an important factor contributing to balance loss (Chagdes et al., 2013, 2016a,b). We present the design and fabrication of an active balance board system that allows for a systematic study of stiffness and time-delay induced instabilities in standing posture. Although current commercial balance boards allow for variable stiffness, they do not allow for manipulation of time-delay. Having two controllable parameters can more accurately determine the cause of balance deficiencies, and allows us to induce instabilities even in healthy populations. An inverted pendulum model of human posture on such an active balance board predicts that reduced board rotational stiffness destabilizes upright posture through board tipping, and limit cycle oscillations about the upright position emerge as feedback time-delay is increased. We validate these two mechanisms of instability on the designed balance board, showing that rotational stiffness and board time-delay induced the predicted postural instabilities in healthy, young adults. Although current commercial balance boards utilize control of rotational stiffness, real-time control of both stiffness and time-delay on an active balance board is a novel and innovative manipulation to reveal balance deficiencies and potentially improve individualized balance training by targeting multiple dimensions contributing to standing balance.     

Design of a Robotized Magnetic Platform for Targeted Drug Delivery in the Cochlea

Inner ear disorders' treatment remains challenging due to anatomical barriers. Robotic assistance seems to be a promising approach to enhance inner ear treatments and, more particularly, lead to effective targeted drug delivery into the human cochlea. In this paper we present a combination of a micro-macro system that was designed and realized in order to efficiently control the navigation of magnetic nanoparticles in an open-loop scheme throughout the cochlea, considering that the magnetic particles cannot be located in real time.In order to respect the anatomical constraints, we established the characteristics that the new platform must present then proceeded to the design of the latter. The developed system is composed of a magnetic actuator that aims to guide nanoparticles into the cochlea. Mounted on a robotic manipulator, it ensures its positioning around the patient's head. The magnetic device integrates four parallelepiped-rectangle permanent magnets. Their arrangement in space, position and orientation, allows the creation of an area of convergence of magnetic forces where nanoparticles can be pushed/pulled to. To ensure the reachability of the desired orientations and positions, a 3 DOF robot based on a Remote Centre of Motion (RCM) mechanism was developed. It features three concurrent rotational joints that generate a spherical workspace around the head. The control of the latter is based on kinematic models.A prototype of this platform was realized to validate the actuation process. Both magnetic actuator and robotic manipulator were realized using an additive manufacturing approach. We also designed a virtual human head with a life-size cochlea inside. A laser was mounted on the end effector to track the positioning of the actuator. This permitted to experimentally prove the capacity of the robotic system to reach the desired positions and orientations in accordance with the medical needs.This promising robotic approach, makes it possible to overcome anatomical barriers and steer magnetic nanoparticles to a targeted location in the inner ear and, more precisely, inside the cochlea.     

高频重复经颅磁刺激联合Brunnstrom分期训练对脑卒中恢复期患者康复效果的影响

摘要 目的：探讨高频重复经颅磁刺激（rTMS）联合Brunnstrom分期训练对脑卒中恢复期患者康复效果的影响。方法：根据随机数字表法将新疆医科大学第一附属医院2020年1月~2022年2月期间收治的脑卒中恢复期患者80例分为对照组（40例,Brunnstrom分期训练）和研究组（40例,高频rTMS联合Brunnstrom分期训练）。对比两组疗效、美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表（NIHSS）评分、功能独立性量表（FIM）评分、生活质量评分、血清神经因子指标[髓鞘碱性蛋白（MBP）、神经元特异性烯醇化酶（NSE）、神经生长因子-1（NGF-1）]。结果：研究组的临床总有效率（92.50%）明显高于对照组（70.00%）（P<0.05）。治疗4周后,研究组MBP、NSE低于对照组,NGF-1高于对照组（P<0.05）。与对照组比较,治疗4周后,研究组NIHSS评分降低,FIM评分升高（P<0.05）。治疗4周后,研究组心理/躯体/物质/社会功能评分较对照组高（P<0.05）。结论：高频rTMS联合Brunnstrom分期训练有助于提高脑卒中恢复期患者的康复效果,同时还可调节血清神经指标,提高生活质量。     

腹式呼吸训练联合短刺法针刺对气滞血瘀型腰椎间盘突出症患者康复效果的影响

摘要 目的：探讨腹式呼吸训练联合短刺法针刺对气滞血瘀型腰椎间盘突出症（LDH）患者康复效果的影响。方法：将2020年1月至2022年6月湖南中医药大学第一附属医院收治的478例气滞血瘀型LDH患者,随机数字表法分为两组,对照组239例患者实施短刺法针刺治疗,观察组239例患者行腹式呼吸训练联合短刺法针刺治疗。比较两组治疗效果、治疗前后中医症候评分、肌电值（坐位、直立位、前屈位、后伸位）、疼痛因子水平[前列腺素E₂（PGE₂）、β-内啡肽（β-EP）、5-羟色胺（5-HT）、P物质（SP）]水平、视觉模拟量表（VAS）评分、Oswestry功能障碍指数（ODI）、日本骨科协会评估治疗分数（JOA）评分、腰椎关节活动度（左屈、左旋、右屈、右旋）及安全性。结果：治疗后,两组治疗效果分级经秩和检验差异具有统计学意义（P＜0.05）,且观察组治疗总有效率显著高于对照组（P＜0.05）。治疗后观察组各中医症候评分低于对照组（P＜0.05）。治疗后观察组坐位、直立位、前屈位、后伸位肌电值高于对照组（P＜0.05）。治疗后观察组疼痛因子PGE₂、5-HT、SP水平低于对照组,β-EP水平高于对照组（P＜0.05）。治疗后观察组VAS评分、ODI低于对照组,JOA评分高于对照组（P＜0.05）。治疗后观察组左屈、左旋、右屈、右旋活动度优于对照组（P＜0.05）。两组不良事件发生率比较无显著差异（P＞0.05）。结论：腹式呼吸训练联合短刺法针刺可提高气滞血瘀型LDH患者临床疗效,增强患者肌力,改善腰椎功能,恢复关节活动度,同时通过调控疼痛介质水平,减轻患者疼痛症状,且具有较好安全性,值得临床借鉴应用。     

The influence of locomotor training on dynamic balance during steady-state walking post-stroke

Slow walking speed and lack of balance control are common impairments post-stroke. While locomotor training often improves walking speed, its influence on dynamic balance is unclear. The goal of this study was to assess the influence of a locomotor training program on dynamic balance in individuals post-stroke during steady-state walking and determine if improvements in walking speed are associated with improved balance control. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected pre- and post-training from seventeen participants who completed a 12-week locomotor training program. Dynamic balance was quantified biomechanically (peak-to-peak range of frontal plane whole-body angular-momentum) and clinically (Berg-Balance-Scale and Dynamic-Gait-Index). To understand the underlying biomechanical mechanisms associated with changes in angular-momentum, foot placement and ground-reaction-forces were quantified. As a group, biomechanical assessments of dynamic balance did not reveal any improvements after locomotor training. However, improved dynamic balance post-training, observed in a sub-group of 10 participants (i.e., Responders), was associated with a narrowed paretic foot placement and higher paretic leg vertical ground-reaction-force impulse during late stance. Dynamic balance was not improved post-training in the remaining seven participants (i.e., Non-responders), who did not alter their foot placement and had an increased reliance on their nonparetic leg during weight-bearing. As a group, increased walking speed was not correlated with improved dynamic balance. However, a higher pre-training walking speed was associated with higher gains in dynamic balance post-training. These findings highlight the importance of the paretic leg weight bearing and mediolateral foot placement in improving frontal plane dynamic balance post-stroke.     

思维导图引导康复锻炼对胸腰椎肿瘤术后功能恢复的干预效果

目的:研究思维导图引导康复锻炼对胸腰椎肿瘤术后功能恢复的干预效果,为患者术后的康复提供指导。方法:选择我院2017年1月-2019年12月期间我院200例胸腰段肿瘤术后患者。按照随机数表法将其分为研究组与对照组。研究组采用思维导图引导康复锻炼措施,对照组采用常规术后康复锻炼措施。比较两组患者干预前后腰背部功能、日常生活活动能力、社会生活生存质量及康复质量的评分结果。结果:干预后研究组生活自理能力、疼痛情况、站立、坐位、步行、睡眠情况、社会生活的Oswestry功能障碍(ODI)指数明显低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。干预后研究组Barthel指数以及Fugl-Meyer评分明显高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。干预后研究组社会功能缺陷筛选量表(SDSS)评分与生存质量测定量表(QOLI)评分明显优于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。干预后研究组患者的躯体症状、心理状态及康复状况评分明显高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:思维导图引导康复锻炼对胸腰椎肿瘤术后功能恢复有着较为理想的效果,值得临床推广运用。     

Rehabilitation management in two siblings with Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome: A case series

Von Hippel Lindau (VHL) is a hereditary multiple neoplasia syndrome. We report a case series of two siblings with Von Hippel Lindau (VHL) disease admitted to the rehabilitation department after surgical excision of Central Nervous System (CNS) haemangioblastomas. These clinical cases present rehabilitation challenges in VHL disease. We present a 39-year-old brother and his 45-year-old sister, with the diagnosis of incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) associated with VHL syndrome lesions. The female patient was diagnosed with chronic motor incomplete cervical SCI and the male patient with acute motor incomplete thoracic SCI. Our target was to increase their functionality and improve their quality of life. Both underwent a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program. Programs were individualized as the female patient was admitted 15 years after her spinal cord surgical intervention, while the male patient’s admission was after 4 months of his surgery.     

The effects of post-stroke upper-limb training with an electromyography (EMG)-driven hand robot

Loss of hand function and finger dexterity are main disabilities in the upper limb after stroke. An electromyography (EMG)-driven hand robot had been developed for post-stroke rehabilitation training. The effectiveness of the hand robot assisted whole upper limb training was investigated on persons with chronic stroke (n = 10) in this work. All subjects attended a 20-session training (3–5 times/week) by using the hand robot to practice object grasp/release and arm transportation tasks. Significant motor improvements were observed in the Fugl-Meyer hand/wrist and shoulder/elbow scores (p < 0.05), and also in the Action Research Arm Test and Wolf Motor Function Test (p < 0.05). Significant reduction in spasticity of the fingers as was measured by the Modified Ashworth Score (p < 0.05). The training improved the muscle co-ordination between the antagonist muscle pair (flexor digitorum (FD) and extensor digitorum (ED)), associated with a significant reduction in the ED EMG level (p < 0.05) and a significant decrease of ED and FD co-contraction during the training (p < 0.05); the excessive muscle activities in the biceps brachii were also reduced significantly after the training (p < 0.05).     

早期规范康复训练在缺血性脑卒中患者中的应用价值

目的:研究早期规范康复训练在缺血性脑卒中患者的临床应用价值.方法:160例缺血性脑卒中患者分为观察组和对照组各80例,两组患者均采用常规治疗,治疗组在此基础上进行72小时内进行康复训练,对照组在15～30天左右进行康复训练,观察两组患者临床神经功能缺损程度采,日常生活活动能力及肢体运动功能的改善情况.结果:两组患者治疗前神经功能缺损程度,日常生活活动能力及肢体运动功能差异无明显的统计学意义(P＞0.05),经过康复训练两组患者各项功能均较治疗前有明显的提高,并且观察组提高水平明显高于对照组,差异具有明显的统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论:早期与晚期康复均可促进缺血性脑卒中患者各种功能的恢复,但是早期康复的临床疗效明显优于晚期康复训练.     

Custom sizing of lower limb exoskeleton actuators using gait dynamic modelling of children with cerebral palsy

The use of exoskeletons as an aid for people with musculoskeletal disorder is the subject to an increasing interest in the research community. These devices are expected to meet the specific needs of users, such as children with cerebral palsy (CP) who are considered a significant population in pediatric rehabilitation. Although these exoskeletons should be designed to ease the movement of people with physical shortcoming, their design is generally based on data obtained from healthy adults, which leads to oversized components that are inadequate to the targeted users. Consequently, the objective of this study is to custom-size the lower limb exoskeleton actuators based on dynamic modeling of the human body for children with CP on the basis of hip, knee, and ankle joint kinematics and dynamics of human body during gait. For this purpose, a multibody modeling of the human body of 3 typically developed children (TD) and 3 children with CP is used. The results show significant differences in gait patterns especially in knee and ankle with respectively 0.39 and ?0.33 (Nm/kg) maximum torque differences between TD children and children with CP. This study provides the recommendations to support the design of actuators to normalize the movement of children with CP.