Biomedical subjects

Rares Boian

Publications and source records attributed to Rares Boian.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

The Rutgers Arm, a rehabilitation system in virtual reality: a pilot study.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Its prevalence calls for innovative rehabilitation methods. The Rutgers Arm is a novel upper extremity rehabilitation system consisting of a low-friction table, three-dimensional (3D) tracker, custom forearm support, PC workstation, library of Java 3D virtual reality (VR) exercises, clinical database module, and a tele-rehabilitation extension. The system was tested on a chronic stroke subject, under local and tele-rehabilitation conditions, over 5 weeks of training. Results show improvements in arm motor control and shoulder range of motion, corresponding to improved Fugl-Meyer test scores. Exercise duration, level of difficulty, and patient motivation were maintained under tele-rehabilitaion. A 1-week retention trial showed that gains were maintained.

Computer Simulation↗

PubMed2006

Sensorimotor training in a virtual reality environment: does it improve functional recovery poststroke?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of computerized virtual reality (VR) training of the hemiparetic hand of patients poststroke using a system that provides repetitive motor reeducation and skill reacquisition. METHODS: Eight subjects in the chronic phase poststroke participated in a 3-week program using their hemiparetic hand in a series of interactive computer games for 13 days of training, weekend breaks, and pretests and posttests. Each subject trained for about 2 to 2.5 h per day. Outcome measures consisted of changes in the computerized measures of thumb and finger range of motion, thumb and finger velocity, fractionation (the ability to move fingers independently), thumb and finger strength, the Jebsen Test of Hand Function, and a Kinematic reach to grasp test. RESULTS: Subjects as a group improved in fractionation of the fingers, thumb and finger range of motion, and thumb and finger speed, retaining those gains at the 1-week retention test. Transfer of these improvements was demonstrated through changes in the Jebsen Test of Hand Function and a decrease after the therapy in the overall time from hand peak velocity to the moment when an object was lifted from the table. CONCLUSIONS: It is difficult in current service delivery models to provide the intensity of practice that appears to be needed to effect neural reorganization and functional changes poststroke. Computerized exercise systems may be a way to maximize both the patients' and the clinicians' time. The data in this study add support to the proposal to explore novel technologies for incorporation into current practice.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Real-time web-based telerehabilitation monitoring.

Distance monitoring of rehabilitation exercises has been primarily conducted using two-way video conferencing. This paper presents a real-time web-based monitoring system that greatly enhances the capability of the clinician to direct rehabilitation therapies.

Humans↗

PubMed2002

Virtual reality-augmented rehabilitation for patients following stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent evidence indicates that intensive massed practice may be necessary to modify neural organization and effect recovery of motor skills in patients following stroke. Virtual reality (VR) technology has the capability of creating an interactive, motivating environment in which practice intensity and feedback can be manipulated to create individualized treatments to retrain movement. CASE DESCRIPTION: Three patients (ML, LE, and DK), who were in the chronic phase following stroke, participated in a 2-week training program (3 1/2 hours a day) including dexterity tasks on real objects and VR exercises. The VR simulations were targeted for range of motion, movement speed, fractionation, and force production. OUTCOMES: ML's function was the most impaired at the beginning of the intervention, but showed improvement in the thumb and fingers in range of motion and speed of movement. LE improved in fractionation and range of motion of his thumb and fingers. DK made the greatest gains, showing improvement in range of motion and strength of the thumb, velocity of the thumb and fingers, and fractionation. Two of the 3 patients improved on the Jebsen Test of Hand Function. DISCUSSION: The outcomes suggest that VR may be useful to augment rehabilitation of the upper limb in patients in the chronic phase following stroke.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Shared virtual environments for telerehabilitation.

Current VR telerehabilitation systems use offline remote monitoring from the clinic and patient-therapist videoconferencing. Such "store and forward" and video-based systems cannot implement medical services involving patient therapist direct interaction. Real-time telerehabilitation applications (including remote therapy) can be developed using a shared Virtual Environment (VE) architecture. We developed a two-user shared VE for hand telerehabilitation. Each site has a telerehabilitation workstation with a videocamera and a Rutgers Master II (RMII) force feedback glove. Each user can control a virtual hand and interact hapticly with virtual objects. Simulated physical interactions between therapist and patient are implemented using hand force feedback. The therapist's graphic interface contains several virtual panels, which allow control over the rehabilitation process. These controls start a videoconferencing session, collect patient data, or apply therapy. Several experimental telerehabilitation scenarios were successfully tested on a LAN. A Web-based approach to "real-time" patient telemonitoring--the monitoring portal for hand telerehabilitation--was also developed. The therapist interface is implemented as a Java3D applet that monitors patient hand movement. The monitoring portal gives real-time performance on off-the-shelf desktop workstations.

Computer Simulation↗