Development of robotic motor rehabilitation that facilitates implicit learning

Research Project

Project/Area Number	25702034
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
Allocation Type	Partial Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
Research Institution	Keio University
Principal Investigator	Ushiba Junichi 慶應義塾大学, 理工学部, 准教授 (00383985)
Project Period (FY)	2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
Budget Amount *help	¥26,650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥20,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥6,150,000) Fiscal Year 2015: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000) Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000) Fiscal Year 2013: ¥21,840,000 (Direct Cost: ¥16,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥5,040,000)
Keywords	ロボットリハビリテーション / 運動学習 / 上肢到達運動 / ロボティック・リハビリテーション / 脳機能イメージング / 脳卒中片麻痺 / 脳卒中片麻痺上肢 / 治療機器
Outline of Final Research Achievements	The present study focused on the advantages of exoskeleton type robotic devices, i.e. precise controllability of kinematics/dynamics and possible accessibility to implicit motor learning process, and tested the feasibility of its application to arm motor rehabilitation to promote upper limb reaching movements. Gradual increment of force applied to one arm was first programmed, and tested its effects on decision making of arm choice and force exerted. The results showed implicit learning can be induced both in healthy and stroke patients with hemiplegia. The pilot study also showed feasibility that functional MRI and Volume based morphometry can detect associated cortical/sub-cortical areas that are used underlying such am implicit motor learning. These study shows the feasibility of implicit learning by exoskeleton robotic intervention in arm motor rehabilitation.