View clinical trials related to Brain Injuries.
Filter by:The goal of this project is to develop a low-cost, user-friendly, portable telerehabilitation system for physical therapy of the upper limb after stroke or traumatic brain injury. The system is based on the use of a commercially available force feedback joystick and will work with an ordinary home PC and a standard high-speed internet connection. Using the joystick, the patient will perform exercises designed to aid in recovering motor function of the hand and arm. The joystick will be programmed to either assist or resist the patient's movements. The system will include sophisticated analysis of patient status and progress to provide the therapist and physician with detailed information. In the first phase of the study, we will develop the system in cooperation with the physical therapy staff and other rehabilitation specialists. The investigators will examine the usability, comfort, safety and therapeutic benefit of the system. In the second phase of the study, the investigators will employ the system in patients' homes, using the internet to connect to rehabilitation specialists in the clinic. The study hypothesis is that it is possible to adapt commercially available, low cost gaming equipment such as force feedback joysticks to provide therapy for patients in their own homes, and that patients will be able to work with this system and will find it enjoyable and helpful for recovering motor function.
The outcome of brain injury (physical or stroke) may be related to a brain electrical phenomenon known as Cortical Spreading Depression (CSD). This is a brief cessation of function in a local region of brain tissue. It has been hypothesized that CSD may occur after brain injury and may expand the damage to adjacent brain areas. Our aim is to detect CSD by means of intracranial electrodes in patients with brain injuries and asses how these events alter the outcome of the patients.