Practical Review of Robotics in the Treatment of Chronic Impairment After Acquired Brain Injury

In the mid-1990s, robotic therapy emerged in U.S. rehabilitation hospitals for the treatment of upper and lower extremity weakness following acquired brain injury (ABI), especially from cerebrovascular accident (CVA or stroke). These early robotic devices were used primarily for stroke rehabilitation research. Since that time, several multicenter studies have demonstrated that robotic interventions are effective restorative tools for motor improvement, as robots take on the hard work of an intensive motor training experience. Importantly, robots will move a hemiparetic limb with consistent, intensive, repetitive, and programmable movement episodes. This training frees the therapist to focus on reincorporating the emerging new motor capacities of the affected limb into functional use. Robotic rehabilitation has consequently become a standard of care for the treatment of hemiparesis in cutting-edge physical and occupational therapy clinics throughout the United States and the world. With inevitable advance of technology, robots will become portable, targeted, and affordable, allowing for the integration of intensive robotic therapy in both the clinic and at home.