According to a 2005 report of the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide – 16% of the global population – experienced significant disability. This number has only been increasing due to population ageing and an increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Rehabilitation addresses the impact of a health condition on a person’s everyday life, by optimizing their function and reducing the experience of disability. Rehabilitation ensures people with a health condition can remain as independent as possible and participate in education, work, and meaningful life roles. Global demographic and health trends, such as population ageing, medical staffing shortages, rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases, as well as continued consequences of conflict, injury and developmental conditions are placing increasing demands on the health care systems. The need for quality rehabilitation is rapidly growing, yet in many parts of the world this need is largely unmet.

One of the major application targets of service robots is to use them as assistive devices for rehabilitation. This book introduces some latest achievements in the field of rehabilitation robotics and assistive technology for people with disabilities and aged people. The book contains results from both theoretical and experimental works and reviews on some new advanced rehabilitation devices which has been recently transferred to the industry. Significant parts of the book are devoted to the assessment of new rehabilitation technologies, the evaluation of prototype devices with end-users, the safety of rehabilitation robots, and robot-assisted neurorehabilitation. The book is a representative selection of the latest trends in rehabilitation robotics and can be used as a reference for teaching on mechatronic devices for rehabilitation.

The book provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in the field of gait and balance rehabilitation. It describes technologies and devices together with the requirements and factors to be considered during their application in clinical settings. The book covers physiological and pathophysiological basis of locomotion and posture control, describes integrated approaches for the treatment of neurological diseases and spinal cord injury, as well as important principles for designing appropriate clinical studies. It presents computer and robotic technologies currently used in rehabilitation, such as exoskeleton devices, functional electrical stimulation, virtual reality and many more, highlighting the main advantages and challenges both from the clinical and engineering perspective. Written in an easy-to-understand style, the book is intended for people with different background and expertise, including medical and engineering students, clinicians and physiotherapists, as well as technical developers of rehabilitation systems and their corresponding human-compute interfaces. It aims at fostering an increased awareness of available technologies for balance and gait rehabilitation, as well as a better communication and collaboration between their users and developers.

Volume numbers determined from Scope of the guidelines, p. 12-13.

Rehabilitation Robotics gives an introduction and overview of all areas of rehabilitation robotics, perfect for anyone new to the field. It also summarizes available robot technologies and their application to different pathologies for skilled researchers and clinicians. The editors have been involved in the development and application of robotic devices for neurorehabilitation for more than 15 years. This experience using several commercial devices for robotic rehabilitation has enabled them to develop the know-how and expertise necessary to guide those seeking comprehensive understanding of this topic. Each chapter is written by an expert in the respective field, pulling in perspectives from both engineers and clinicians to present a multi-disciplinary view. The book targets the implementation of efficient robot strategies to facilitate the re-acquisition of motor skills. This technology incorporates the outcomes of behavioral studies on motor learning and its neural correlates into the design, implementation and validation of robot agents that behave as 'optimal' trainers, efficiently exploiting the structure and plasticity of the human sensorimotor systems. In this context, human-robot interaction plays a paramount role, at both the physical and cognitive level, toward achieving a symbiotic interaction where the human body and the robot can benefit from each other's dynamics. - Provides a comprehensive review of recent developments in the area of rehabilitation robotics - Includes information on both therapeutic and assistive robots - Focuses on the state-of-the-art and representative advancements in the design, control, analysis, implementation and validation of rehabilitation robotic systems

People with neurological disorders may experience significant problems, isolation, detachment, and passivity while dealing with environmental requests. They constantly rely on caregivers and family assistance, which can create negative outcomes on their quality of life. An emerging way to overcome these issues is assistive technology-based interventions (AT). AT-based programs are designed to fill the gap between human/individual capacities or skills and environmental requests. These technologies can also bring about independence and self-determination and provide people with neurological disorders an active role, positive participation, and an enhanced status in being able to achieve functional daily activities by reducing the roles of their families and caregivers. The positive impacts of this technology are an important area of research, and its usage for neurological disorders is critical for the assessment and recovery of patients. Assistive Technologies for Assessment and Recovery of Neurological Impairments explores the use of AT-based programs for promoting independence and self-determination of individuals with neurological disorders. The chapters discuss AT-based interventions in detail with the specific technologies that are being used, the positive effects on patients, and evidence-based practices. This book also focuses on specific technologies such as virtual reality (VR) setups and augmented reality (AR) as valid ecological environments for patients that ensure methodological control and behavioral tracking for both assessment and rehabilitation purposes. This book is essential for occupational therapists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, neurologists, caregivers, psychologists, practitioners, medical professionals, medical technologists, IT consultants, academicians, and students interested in assistive technology interventions for people with neurological impairments.

Intends to examine the focus and aims that drive rehabilitation intervention and technology development. This book addresses the questions of what research is taking place to develop rehabilitation, applied technology and how we have been able to modify and measure responses in both healthy and clinical populations using these technologies.

Thoroughly updated to reflect the latest advances and technologies, Braddom's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 6th Edition, remains the market leader in the field of PM&R. For more than 20 years, this bestselling reference has been the go-to resource for the entire rehabilitation team, providing in-depth coverage of essential core principles along with the latest research, technologies, and procedures that enhance patient care and facilitate optimal return to function. In this edition, lead editor Dr. David X. Cifu and his team of expert associate editors and contributing authors employ a more succinct format that emphasizes need-to-know material, incorporating new key summary features, including high-yield information and study sheets for problem-based learning. - Focuses more heavily on rehabilitation, with case studies throughout and more comprehensive coverage of stroke evaluation, rehabilitation, and therapies. - Provides expanded information on key topics such as interventional pain management options, gait and prosthetics, USG, fluoroscopy, electrodiagnosis and more. - Features a new chapter on Occupational Medicine and Vocational Rehabilitation, plus enhanced coverage of the neurogenic bladder, rehabilitation and prosthetic restoration in upper limb amputation, and acute medical conditions including cardiac disease, medical frailty, and renal failure. - Discusses quality and outcome measures for medical rehabilitation, practical aspects of impairment rating and disability determination, integrative medicine in rehabilitation, and assistive technology. - Offers highly illustrated, templated chapters that are easy to navigate without sacrificing coverage of key topics. - Includes access to dozens of even more practical videos and hundreds of integrated self-assessment questions for more effective learning and retention. - Enhanced eBook version included with purchase. Your enhanced eBook allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.

The goal of this book is to bring together ideas from several different disciplines in order to examine the focus and aims that drive rehabilitation intervention and technology development. Specifically, the chapters in this book address the questions of what research is currently taking place to further develop rehabilitation, applied technology and how we have been able to modify and measure responses in both healthy and clinical populations using these technologies. The following chapters are dedicated toward addressing these issues: 1) Does Training with Technology Add to Functional Gains?; 2) Are there Rules that Govern Recovery of Function?; 3) Using the Body’s Own Signals to Augment Therapeutic Gains; 4) Technology Incorporates Cognition and Action; 5) Technology Enhances the Impact of Rehabilitation Programs; 6) Summary.