Incedo - Disrupting Stroke Rehabilitation
Gait (walking) problems are a common disability for stroke patients. For many patients the first really important milestone is to regain the ability to move freely and independently. At the same time walking rehabilitation is a challenge for moderately to severely affected patients. With current rehabilitation methods, many of these patients have still significant walking problems after completing their rehabilitation program. Reflex-based therapy will assist the patient to start walking earlier in the process and to reach a better walking quality than would otherwise be possible.
Reflex-based therapy is used as an augmentation of existing training methods that can be used with both weight-reduced treadmill training and when the patients are walking by the support of a therapist.
Consequently, the use of reflex-based therapy is not alter existing practices, but is an augmentation that leads to a more efficient use of the patient’s training time resulting in a better walking quality.
With nociceptive reflex therapy, a stimulus is applied to the sole of the foot. This evokes the body’s own built-in withdrawal reflex and supports the patient in lifting and taking a step.
Nociceptive reflex therapy concists of an insole and a control unit. The insole will integrate a foot switch, and the electrodes needed to evoke the reflex. The control unit will trigger the electrical stimuli when the patient lifts the foot from the floor during gait training.
1. Foot sensor
The foot sensor is placed in the patient’s footwear. It contains multiple sensors distributed over the foot sole. The optimal sensor for walking detection is automatically selected.
2. Integrated Electrode
A single integrated electrode is placed on the patient’s inner sole. The electrode consists of both the active and return electrode for evoking the withdrawal reflex.
3. Setup
The foot sensor and the electrode are connected to the patient cable. The therapist then selects a stimulus intensity that evokes the withdrawal reflex.
4. Training
Gait (walking) training is performed in combination with:
- Over-the-ground walking
- Weight-reduced treadmill training
- Other similar existing methods.