Restoration of Human Function (RHF)
The cluster Restoration of Human Function develops and evaluates technology for people with a physical impairment, particularly people who are suffering from the effects of a stroke or paraplegia. The aim is to develop ways of using this technology for training, support or replacement of damaged body parts to restore optimal function. The cluster’s approach is increasingly based on knowledge of the neurological aspects of the complaint. The cluster is also active in prosthetics, particularly in research into the properties of prosthetic components. Special training can also lead to successful rehabilitation. The use of virtual reality in this respect is becoming more common. Other training methods use robots to help the patients perform the rehabilitation exercises.
Research Projects
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Heelless Elite runners generally land their foot, not with the heel, but on the ball of the foot or in between the heel and the forefoot. On the other hand, people who jog tend to strike their heels on the ground. The Heelless running shoe is an innovative concept, aimed at influencing an athletes’ landing style to reduce repetitive strain and increase running efficiency..... |
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MIAS Active Assistive Devices Active assistive devices have the goal to stimulate elderly to stay physically active and to support their activities of daily living. Loss of function is often compensated by the current assistive devices which may lead to a more passive lifestyle and further loss of function. |
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ROBAR After a stroke, many patients suffer from impaired motor function of the arm. Optimal recovery of arm function is important to perform activities of daily life independently. To stimulate restoration of arm function after stroke intensive and task-specific training is essential. For this, application of robotic systems in rehabilitation is promising. More specifically, active movements can be facilitated by the use.... |
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Virtual Reality: meerwaarde binnen de fysiotherapie To stimulate restoration of arm function after stroke, intensive and task-specific training is essential. To implement this, the application of virtual reality (VR) in rehabilitation is promising. Integration of stimuli and feedback in a rehabilitation game, taking principles of motor relearning into account, allows high motivation for patients during training. Additionally, VR can automate and intensify treatment.... |
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Evolution Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are often used in the rehabilitation after stroke. Up till now, the effects of AFOs are mainly studied in cross-over studies to assess the immediate and short-term effects of AFOs on walking. Several positive effects of AFOs on among others walking ability and balance tasks are reported in those studies. Evidence for the long-term effects of AFOs, and especially research studying the timing of.... |
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Myopro Myoelectric prostheses often stay unused by their owners. Currently available hands can only open and close and as a result patients perform most activities with their intact hand. Furthermore, the control is not intuitive and the user only perceives visual feedback. The main goals of the project are threefold: improve the control of a myoelectric arm-prosthesis by increasing the number of degrees of freedom using.... |
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Active Rehabilitation International research into robotic devices assisting arm rehabilitation after stroke has rapidly expanded in the last decades. This research provides promising results, mainly focused on improvement of motor impairments. Unfortunately, it is largely unknown which of the training principles that are enabled by the use of robotic devices are the most effective for this improvement. Besides this, the improvement does.... |
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Development and evaluation of an EMG-based multi-channel electro stimulator for the home treatment of stroke patients After stroke, many patients suffer from an impaired arm function. Three months after a stroke only 20% of all stroke survivors have an entirely normal arm function. To improve the impaired arm function, electrical stimulation (ES) can be used during the treatment after stroke. In ES, muscle contraction is provoked in order to assist the performance of functional activities EMG-triggered electrotherapy is a special kind.... |
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Dynasit Subjects who use a wheelchair for their mobility often adopt a passive sitting posture in their wheelchair. This might result in physical problems like pressure ulcers. Variations in sitting posture decrease the load on vulnerable areas and can therefore minimize the risk of pressure ulcers. Subjects without mobility problems continuously change their sitting posture in a dynamic way. Dynamic sitting can be used to prevent.... |
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Impulse Dropped foot is a condition found in several patient groups, including Multiple Sclerosis, incomplete spinal cord injury and most notably, stroke. Stroke is one of the most common disorders affecting the neuromuscular system. The conventional management of dropped foot has been to use a rigid orthosis to maintain the ankle in a neutral position. This has major limitations as a treatment, being both.... |
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Neuropharmacology Today many research is done to facilitate motor recovery after stroke. This recovery takes place peripherally, but also in the central nerve system (CNS). Therefore, in addition to motor training, facilitation of processes in the brain might improve the rehabilitation after stroke. One way to influence these processes is to administer neuropharmaca. Several studies already have been done examining the.... |
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Virtual Reality One of the research lines within the cluster restoration of human function investigates the use of Virtual Reality (VR) in rehabilitation. By means of VR a patient can be submerged in an artificial or a virtual environment, in which manipulations of the environment can be used to train certain functions specifically. This field is developing rapidly, mainly due to the availability of several visualization techniques and.... |
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