Design, construction and analysis of an alternative stroke rehabilitation device based on the principels of neuroplasticity

Date
2016-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRAST: The use of robotics in post-stroke patient rehabilitation and research has increased substantially during the last two decades. However, it has also led to important social and economic concerns, as the number of patients in developing countries that can afford the expensive outpatient rehabilitation, and therefore be treated, are limited. Not much is known about alternative lowcost rehabilitation devices. The motivation behind this thesis is to eventually address two of the most prominent limiting complications in stroke recovery programs, which are the time available for patient engagement, and the cost for outpatient rehabilitation. It presents the experimental design, construction, and analysis of a prototype stroke rehabilitation device, based on the principles of sensory stimulation therapy and neuroplasticity. The main objective of this project was to come to the conclusion whether it is possible to sense different electrobiological potentials in the brain during discrete events, from the constructed wearable sensory feedback device. The device is experimentally tested through the implementation of a case-control observational Event-Related Potential (ERP) study on healthy test subjects. The experimental results demonstrate the detection of cognitive and sensory-motor brain activity in response to, and in anticipation of, a somatic sensation. Electroencephalography (EEG) data is analyzed and decomposed to replicate three different ERPs, namely the P200 exogenous-sensory and -visual component, and the P300 endogenous component. The statistical analysis results indicate that a definite correlation is found between the Visual vs. P200 (F = 1.274, p = 0.28535) and the P200 vs. P300 (F = 64.253; p < 0.001) components when compared to previous ERP studies. The present evidence supports the use of mechanical-assisted therapy and indicates that potentially cost saving alternative rehabilitation techniques are possible in their use of providing sensory feedback, and recording and analyzing EEG feedback.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die gebruik van robotika in die rehabilitasie en navorsing van pasiënte na beroerte het gedurende die afgelope twee dekades aansienlik toegeneem. Dit het egter ook gelei tot sekere nadelige sosiale en ekonomiese gevolge, aangesien die aantal pasiënte wat die duur buitepasiënt-rehabilitasie kan bekostig, en dus in effek behandel kan word, afneem. Buitendien is daar min inligting bekend oor alternatiewe laekoste-rehabilitasietoestelle. Die motivering van hierdie tesis is om uiteindelik twee van die mees prominente komplikasies in beroerte herstellingsprogramme, naamlik die tyd wat beskikbaar is vir pasiënt behandeling en die koste verbonde aan buitepasiënt-rehabilitasie, aan te spreek. Hierdie tesis handel oor die proefondervindelike toetsing, ontwikkeling en analisering van ’n lae-koste beroerte-rehabilitasietoestel prototipe, wat op die beginsels van sensoriese stimulasie terapie en neuroplastisiteit berus. Die hoofoogmerk van hierdie projek was om tot gevolgtrekking te kom of dit moontlik is om verskillende elektrobiologiese potensiale wat deur die ontwikkelde draagbare toestel gelewer word, in die brein op te tel tydens diskrete aktiwiteite. Proefondervindelike toetsing op gesonde individue het deur middel van die implementering van ’n geval-gekontroleerde observerende Respons-Verwante Potensiaal (RVP) studie plaasgevind. Die proefondervindelike resultate toon dat kognitiewe en sensories-motoriese breinaktiwiteit opgetel word in reaksie op, en in afwagting van ’n somatiese sensasie. Elektro-ensefalografie (EEG) data is ontleed en voorgestel as drie verskillende RVP’s, naamlik die P200-eksogene-sensoriese en -Visuele komponent, en die P300-endogene komponent. Die statistiese ontleding van die resultate dui aan dat ’n definitiewe korrelasie gevind is tussen die Visuele- teenoor P200-komponent (F = 1,274; p = 0,28535) en die P200- teenoor P300-komponent (F = 64,253; p < 0.001), in vergelyking met vorige soortgelyke RVP-studies. Die huidige bewyse ondersteun die gebruik van meganiese-bystand terapiemetodes en dui aan dat potensiele kostebesparing rehabilitasie-tegnieke moontlik is in die gebruik van verskaffing van sensoriese terugvoer, EEG-terugvoer opnames en ontleding.
Description
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2016.
Keywords
Rehabilitation technology, Electroencephalography, Neuroplasticity, UCTD
Citation