Affiliations: Physical Therapy, Developmental and Rehabilitative
Sciences, UMDNJ-SHRP, Newark, NJ, USA | Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey
Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA | Department of Developmental and Rehabilitative
Sciences, UMDNJ-SHRP, Newark, NJ, USA | Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience,
Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA | School of Engineering, Center for Advanced Information
Processing, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Judith E. Deutsch, Ph.D., P.T., Program in
Physical Therapy, UMDNJ-SHRP, P.O. Box 1709, 65 Bergen Street, Newark, NJ
07101, USA. Tel.: +1 973 972 2373; Fax: +1 973 972 3717; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: Development and application of virtual reality (VR) systems for
rehabilitation is an iterative process produced by collaboration of an
inter-disciplinary team of engineers, neuroscientists and clinician-scientists.
In this paper the use of virtual reality technology for the rehabilitation of
individuals post-stroke is described. The development of the hardware is based
on principles of motor control. Development of the software uses findings from
the enrichment and motor plasticity and training literatures as well as
principles of motor learning. Virtual environments are created to afford
individuals post-stroke opportunities to practice tasks for which they require
rehabilitation. These tasks, related to hand function and gait, are trained
both at the impairment and functional level. The training engages users to
allow for the repetitive intensive practice required for behavioral motor
plasticity. Results from a series of upper and lower extremity studies indicate
that use of VR technology to augment rehabilitation of individuals post-stroke
merits further study.
Keywords: virtual reality, rehabilitation, motor learning, haptics
