This open access book focuses on practical clinical problems that are frequently encountered in stroke rehabilitation. Consequences of diseases, e.g. impairments and activity limitations, are addressed in rehabilitation with the overall goal to reduce disability and promote participation. Based on the available best external evidence, clinical pathways are described for stroke rehabilitation bridging the gap between clinical evidence and clinical decision-making. The clinical pathways answer the questions which rehabilitation treatment options are beneficial to overcome specific impairment constellations and activity limitations and are well acceptable to stroke survivors, as well as when and in which settings to provide rehabilitation over the course of recovery post stroke. Each chapter starts with a description of the clinical problem encountered. This is followed by a systematic, but concise review of the evidence (RCTs, systematic reviews and meta-analyses) that is relevant for clinical decision-making, and comments on assessment, therapy (training, technology, medication), and the use of technical aids as appropriate. Based on these summaries, clinical algorithms / pathways are provided and the main clinical-decision situations are portrayed. The book is invaluable for all neurorehabilitation team members, clinicians, nurses, and therapists in neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and related fields. It is a World Federation for NeuroRehabilitation (WFNR) educational initiative, bridging the gap between the rapidly expanding clinical research in stroke rehabilitation and clinical practice across societies and continents. It can be used for both clinical decision-making for individuals and as well as clinical background knowledge for stroke rehabilitation service development initiatives.

This book presents recent progresses in control, automation, robotics and measuring techniques. It includes contributions of top experts in the fields, focused on both theory and industrial practice. The particular chapters present a deep analysis of a specific technical problem which is in general followed by a numerical analysis and simulation and results of an implementation for the solution of a real world problem. The presented theoretical results, practical solutions and guidelines will be useful for both researchers working in the area of engineering sciences and for practitioners solving industrial problems.

Wearable Robotics: Systems and Applications provides a comprehensive overview of the entire field of wearable robotics, including active orthotics (exoskeleton) and active prosthetics for the upper and lower limb and full body. In its two major sections, wearable robotics systems are described from both engineering perspectives and their application in medicine and industry. Systems and applications at various levels of the development cycle are presented, including those that are still under active research and development, systems that are under preliminary or full clinical trials, and those in commercialized products. This book is a great resource for anyone working in this field, including researchers, industry professionals and those who want to use it as a teaching mechanism. - Provides a comprehensive overview of the entire field, with both engineering and medical perspectives - Helps readers quickly and efficiently design and develop wearable robotics for healthcare applications

The book reports on advanced topics in the areas of neurorehabilitation research and practice. It focuses on new methods for interfacing the human nervous system with electronic and mechatronic systems to restore or compensate impaired neural functions. Importantly, the book merges different perspectives, such as the clinical, neurophysiological, and bioengineering ones, to promote, feed and encourage collaborations between clinicians, neuroscientists and engineers. Based on the 2020 International Conference on Neurorehabilitation (ICNR 2020) held online on October 13-16, 2020, this book covers various aspects of neurorehabilitation research and practice, including new insights into biomechanics, brain physiology, neuroplasticity, and brain damages and diseases, as well as innovative methods and technologies for studying and/or recovering brain function, from data mining to interface technologies and neuroprosthetics. In this way, it offers a concise, yet comprehensive reference guide to neurosurgeons, rehabilitation physicians, neurologists, and bioengineers. Moreover, by highlighting current challenges in understanding brain diseases as well as in the available technologies and their implementation, the book is also expected to foster new collaborations between the different groups, thus stimulating new ideas and research directions.

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