Revolutionary therapy: Exoskeletons help stroke patients!

Revolutionary therapy: Exoskeletons help stroke patients!

Innovative technologies are playing an increasingly crucial role in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. A promising approach is no longer limited to classic physiotherapy, but also integrates modern assistance systems such as exoskeletons and functional electrical stimulation (FES). The current developments, which are being driven forward primarily in Germany and Austria, shed new light on the possibilities of post-acute rehabilitation.

An important initiative is the ReHyb research project, which is led by the Schön Klinik Bad Abling Harthausen. Here, 24 stroke victims are testing a modular system that uses a combination of exoskeleton and FES. The FES enables the targeted stimulation of individual muscles, which is crucial for movements such as grasping or catching objects. In this context, computer games are used to train gripping and moving the arm in a playful way. Elements such as assigning colorful balls to correct compartments help patients to specifically improve their motor skills and promote individual adaptation of the training using a digital twin that captures the specific requirements of each individual Technical University of Munich.

Exoskeletons in gait therapy

Parallel to these developments, a pilot test is taking place at the Otto Wagner Hospital in Vienna that focuses on gait therapy for stroke patients using exoskeletons. In a collaboration between the eHealth start-up tech2people and the Neurological Center, the first patients, including a stroke patient, have started using this innovative therapeutic approach. Patients practice walking under the guidance of trained physiotherapists and strengthen their muscles vienna.at.

This new form of therapy is particularly important because around 25,000 people in Austria suffer a stroke every year, making this disease the third most common cause of death. Of those affected, up to 7,000 lose their independence every year. Michael Seitlinger, managing director of tech2people, emphasizes that one hour of therapy with the exoskeleton is superior in effectiveness to conventional forms of therapy. In order to further investigate the possible positive effects, feedback from patients who have already reported improved perception of their paralyzed side and a better mood will be collected as part of the pilot test.

Scientific studies and future perspectives

The importance of assistive technologies such as exoskeletons in rehabilitation is supported by various studies. A randomized controlled trial from Taiwan is an example of how effective robot-assisted gait training can be for stroke patients with hemiparesis. In this study, participants had to be cognitively able to follow the therapy and assessments. In addition, specific exclusion criteria were defined to ensure that only suitable patients were included in the study Physiotherapeuten.de.

The combination of exoskeletal therapy and FES offers great hope for rehabilitation. The use of innovative technologies makes it possible to respond more specifically and effectively to the needs of patients and could significantly change rehabilitation in the future. It remains to be seen how these technologies will develop in patient care and whether they will become an integral part of structured rehabilitation programs for stroke patients.