Robotic devices have been successfully used by MIT engineers to help patients with strokes in learning to control their arms and legs and now the same method holds a lot of promise for patients with brain injuries and cerebral palsy.

One of the project leaders and the principal research scientists says, “Robotic therapy can potentially help reduce impairment and facilitate neuro-development of youngsters with cerebral palsy.”

They are also trying to build it for Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injury. These devices work on the principle that it is possible to help rebuild the connections in the brain using devices that gently guide the limb as the patient tries to do a particular movement.

This is easier with children than with grown ups as children are more flexible as their brains are just developing and new connections can be made easily. With cerebral palsy patients, they are helped to reach for and grasp objects by the robotic devices. Here the youngster is expected to move the robot handle towards an object on the monitor. If the child doesn’t move or moves in the wrong direction, the device gently nudges it to move in the right direction.

It is important for the patient to make an effort to do what the device is helping him/ her to do. When the signal from the brain couples with the movement due to the robot assistance, new connections will be formed and this helps the brain learn the basic movements again. 

For this therapy to take effect, a number of repetitions are necessary which can be close to 400 times in an hour’s therapy. This team has started with the upper body therapy but a project has been designed for the ankle as well. This therapy has better chances of working with children and can give better long term benefits. 

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