Low-Cost Robotic Guide Based on a Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface for Arm Assisted Rehabilitation.

Eduardo Quiles,Manuel Jiménez,Ferran Suay,Leandro Álvarez-Kurogi,Nayibe Chio,Gemma Candela

doi:10.3390/ijerph17030699

Abstract

Motor imagery has been suggested as an efficient alternative to improve the rehabilitation process of affected limbs. In this study, a low-cost robotic guide is implemented so that linear position can be controlled via the user’s motor imagination of movement intention. The patient can use this device to move the arm attached to the guide according to their own intentions. The first objective of this study was to check the feasibility and safety of the designed robotic guide controlled via a motor imagery (MI)-based brain–computer interface (MI-BCI) in healthy individuals, with the ultimate aim to apply it to rehabilitation patients. The second objective was to determine which are the most convenient MI strategies to control the different assisted rehabilitation arm movements. The results of this study show a better performance when the BCI task is controlled with an action–action MI strategy versus an action–relaxation one. No statistically significant difference was found between the two action–action MI strategies.

Highlights

Motor deficiencies are a great handicap for many disabled people
6, results for all subjects are ordered according to their strategy (HRT)
This study presents a low-cost rehabilitation device controlled via an motor imagery (MI)-Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) system

Summary

Introduction

Motor deficiencies are a great handicap for many disabled people. Such disabilities are caused by various medical problems (stroke, trauma, neurodegenerative diseases, etc.) and affect millions of people worldwide. Rehabilitation of hands and arms is fundamental to improve the independence of affected patients when performing everyday tasks [1,2]. Many of the rehabilitation strategies applied, such as active motor training (AMT) [3], force the use of paralyzed limbs. AMT can produce an improvement in motor performance and a cortical reorganization. AMT usefulness is limited since it depends on a patient’s residual motor activity. This excludes many patients from the potential benefits of AMT

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion