Publications by authors named "Matt Simkins"
A long-standing problem in muscle control is the "curse of dimensionality". In part, this problem relates to the fact that coordinated movement is only achieved through the simultaneous contraction and extension of multitude muscles to specific lengths. Couched in robotics terms, the problem includes the determination of forward and inverse kinematics.
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- Survivors of a stroke often experience impaired movement coordination in their upper limbs, impacting their ability to perform tasks like reaching and pointing.
- Research indicates that the timing of joint movements during flexion and extension differs, possibly due to varying delays or advances between the joints involved.
- An experiment found that stroke survivors exhibited unique frequency-dependent timing differences in shoulder movements, suggesting that these pathological synergies might be linked to normal movement patterns and could inform rehabilitation strategies.
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term neurological disability and the principle reason for seeking rehabilitative services in the US. Learning based rehabilitation training enables independent mobility in the majority of patients post stroke, however, restoration of fine manipulation, motor function and task specific functions of the hemiplegic arm and hand is noted in fewer than 15% of the stroke patients. Brain plasticity is the innate mechanism enabling the recovery of motor skills through neurological reorganization of the brain as a response to limbs' manipulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUpper limb joint space modeling of stroke induced synergies using isolated and voluntary arm perturbations.
IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng
May 2014
Among other diminished motor capabilities, survivors of a stroke often exhibit joint synergies. These synergies are stereotypically characterized by involuntary joint co-activation. With respect to the upper limbs, such synergies diminish coordination in reaching, pointing, and other daily tasks.
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- - Stroke survivors often experience difficulties with their upper limbs, but specific training can help them regain function and promote brain recovery.
- - A study with 15 stroke survivors compared two methods of upper limb training: using a robotic device and working with a physical therapist over 6 weeks.
- - Results showed that both training approaches significantly improved factors like flexibility, strength, and voluntary movement, although neither method led to notable improvements in fine motor skills or daily living activities.
Rhythmic affects on stroke-induced joint synergies across a range of speeds.
Exp Brain Res
September 2013
Joint synergies are one among several diminished motor capabilities that are associated with stroke. These synergies are characterized by a stereotypical combination of involuntary joint coactivations. This research measured the synergistic rotations of the shoulder in response to voluntary rhythmic motion of the elbow across a range of speeds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study investigates games intended for use with an upper-limb exoskeleton robot operated unilaterally and bilaterally. Games are evaluated in terms of usability and preference for stroke survivors. Game design considerations relating to the human to machine interface, are also discussed.
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- - Robot-assisted stroke rehabilitation is gaining traction as a method to help patients regain function after a stroke, involving components like biomechanics, control schemes, rehabilitation tasks, and assessment tools.
- - A clinical trial with the UL-EXO7 exoskeleton tried to improve upper limb function in stable post-stroke patients, who were divided into three groups: bilateral robotic training, unilateral robotic training, and usual care.
- - Results indicated that both robotic training groups demonstrated significant improvements in movement (kinematics) as measured by new and traditional assessment metrics after engaging in therapeutic video games during 12 sessions.