A Structured Rehabilitation Protocol for Improved Multifunctional Prosthetic Control: A Case Study.
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Advances in robotic systems have resulted in prostheses for the upper limb that can produce multifunctional movements. However, these sophisticated systems require upper limb amputees to learn complex control schemes. Humans have the ability to learn new movements through imitation and other learning strategies. This protocol describes a structured rehabilitation method, which includes imitation, repetition, and reinforcement learning, and aims to assess if this method can improve multifunctional prosthetic control. A left below elbow amputee, with 4 years of experience in prosthetic use, took part in this case study. The prosthesis used was a Michelangelo hand with wrist rotation, and the added features of wrist flexion and extension, which allowed more combinations of hand movements. The participant's Southampton Hand Assessment Procedure score improved from 58 to 71 following structured training. This suggests that a structured training protocol of imitation, repetition and reinforcement may have a role in learning to control a new prosthetic hand. A larger clinical study is however required to support these findings.
Date Issued
2015-06-11
Date Acceptance
2015-06-01
Citation
Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2015, 105
ISSN
1940-087X
Publisher
Journal of Visualized Experiments
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Visualized Experiments
Volume
105
Copyright Statement
© 2015 Journal of Visualized Experiments
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26575620
Subjects
Adult
Amputees
Artificial Limbs
Elbow
Hand
Humans
Male
Movement
Prosthesis Implantation
Range of Motion, Articular
Publication Status
Published online
Coverage Spatial
United States
Article Number
e52968