Desenvolvimento de instrumentos e metodologias para terapia e moritorização dos membros superiores

O presente trabalho tem como principal objectivo o desenvolvimento de instrumentos e metodologias para monitorização e terapia dos membros superiores, mais concretamente de cada dedo individualmente, de pessoas com disfunção motora a este nível. Neste livro são descritas as estratégias seguidas, e a sua fundament ação, e são discutidos os resultados preliminares obtidos com a implementação destas técnicas em ambiente hospitalar. ABSTRACT: This work has as main goal the development of instruments and methods for monitoring and therapy of the upper limbs, specifically of each finger independently, of people with motor dysfunction at this level. In this book, the followed strategies are described, as well as their motivation; We discuss preliminary results obtained with the implementation of these techniques in an hospital environment

Virtual reality based rehabilitation speeds up functional recovery of the upper extremities after stroke: a randomized controlled pilot study in the acute phase of stroke using the rehabilitation gaming system

Given the incidence of stroke, the need has arisen to consider more self-managed rehabilitation approaches. A promising technology is Virtual Reality (VR). Thus far, however, it is not clear what the benefits of VR systems are when compared to conventional methods. Here we investigated the clinical impact of one such system, the Rehabilitation Gaming System (RGS), on the recovery time course of acute stroke. RGS combines concepts of action execution and observation with an automatic individualization of training. METHODS. Acute stroke patients (n = 8) used the RGS during 12 weeks in addition to conventional therapy. A control group (n = 8) performed a time matched alternative treatment, which consisted of intense occupational therapy or non-specific interactive games. RESULTS. At the end of the treatment, between-group comparisons showed that the RGS group displayed significantly improved performance in paretic arm speed that was matched by better performance in the arm subpart of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Test and the Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory. In addition, the RGS group presented a significantly faster improvement over time for all the clinical scales during the treatment period. CONCLUSIONS. Our results suggest that rehabilitation with the RGS facilitates the functional recovery of the upper extremities and that this system is therefore a promising tool for stroke neurorehabilitation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of prolonged multidimensional fitness training with exergames on the physical exertion levels of older adults

While exergames have been used with older adults in an attempt to promote higher physical activity (PA) levels, and its subsequent health benefits, there is a lack of research that objectively quantifies the PA levels that custom-made exergames can produce throughout an extended training program. In this paper, we describe a 3-month intervention study that aimed to measure the participants PA levels during exergames’ sessions and their effectiveness in eliciting the recommended activity levels. Over the course of the study, two groups of older adults participated in either a conventional multidimensional fitness training program of two sessions of exercise per week (n = 16) or in an equivalent combined program (n = 15), of one conventional and one exergame session per week. Both the objective PA levels (through accelerometry) and subjective effort (perceived exertion) were collected in each session. Results revealed that while participants spent more time in moderateto-vigorous PA during exergaming than during conventional sessions, they also spent less energy, thus working out at lower intensities but for a more sustained amount of time. The self-reported exertion was consistently higher for the sessions of the combined exercise program. We showed that a set of custom-made exergames can be successfully used by trainers to set up personalized training sessions and can be used in combination with regular exercise for sustained long-term training, exposing differences between the two training regimes in terms of efficiency, elicited PA, and perceived effort.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio