[Abstract] Evidence based position paper on physical and rehabilitation medicine professional practice for adults with acquired brain injury. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section)

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INTRODUCTION: Acquired brain injury (ABI) is damage to the brain that occurs after birth caused either by a traumatic or by a nontraumatic injury. The rehabilitation process following ABI should be performed by a multi-professional team, working in an interdisciplinary way, with the aim of organizing a comprehensive and holistic approach to persons with every severity of ABI. This Evidence Based Position Paper represents the official position of the European Union through the UEMS Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) Section and designates the professional role of PRM physicians for people with ABI.
AIM: The aim was to formulate recommendations on the PRM physician’s professional practice for persons with ABI in order to promote their functioning and enhance quality of life.
METHODS: This paper has been developed according to the methodology defined by the Professional Practice Committee of the UEMS-PRM SECTION: a systematic literature search has been performed in PubMed and Core Clinical Journals. On the basis of the selected papers, recommendations have been made as a result of five Delphi rounds.
RESULTS: The literature review as well as thirty-one reccomendations are presented.
CONCLUSIONS: The expert consensus is that structured, comprehensive and holistic rehabilitation programme delivered by the multi-professional team, working in an interdisciplinary way, with the leadership and coordination of the PRM physician, is likely to be effective, especially for those with severe disability after brain injury.

via Evidence based position paper on physical and rehabilitation medicine professional practice for adults with acquired brain injury. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section) – European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 2018 Aug 29 – Minerva Medica – Journals

[WEB SITE] A new grasp on robotic glove

Having achieved promising results in proof-of-concept prototyping and experimental testing, a soft robotic glove under development by Conor Walsh and a team of engineers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering could someday help people suffering from loss of hand motor control regain some of their independence.

Most patients with partial or total loss of their hand motor abilities due to muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or incomplete spinal cord injury report a greatly reduced quality of life because of their inability to perform many activities of daily living. Tasks often taken for granted by the able-bodied — buttoning a shirt, picking up a telephone, using cooking and eating utensils — become frustrating, nearly impossible feats due to reduced gripping strength and motor control.

The stage is now set for that to change, however, thanks to Walsh’s expertise in soft, wearable robotic systems and a development approach that involves the glove’s potential end users in every step of testing and development. The holistic approach ensures that technology development goes beyond simple functionality to incorporate social and psychological elements of design that promote seamless adoption by its end users.

Continue —> A new grasp on robotic glove | Harvard Gazette.