Passive ankle dorsiflexion by an automated device and the reactivity of the motor cortical network.

Gait impairment is an important consequence of neurological disease. Passive mobilization of the affected lower limbs is often prescribed in order to safeguard tissue properties and prevent circulatory sequelae during paresis. However, passive movement could play a role also in stimulating cortical areas of the brain devoted to the control of the lower limb, so that deafferentation and learned non-use can be contrasted.

Pilot studies suggesting new applications of NiTi in dynamic orthoses for the ankle joint.

NiTi is a metal alloy with unconventional functional characteristics: Shape memory and pseudoelasticity. Its use in the field of rehabilitation is very innovative. This work presents applications in lower limb orthotics.

Primary sensory and motor cortex activities during voluntary and passive ankle mobilization by the SHADE orthosis.

This study investigates cortical involvement during ankle passive mobilization in healthy subjects, and is part of a pilot study on stroke patient rehabilitation. Magnetoencephalographic signals from the primary sensorimotor areas devoted to the lower limb were collected together with simultaneous electromyographic activities from tibialis anterior (TA). This was done bilaterally, on seven healthy subjects (aged 29 ± 7), during rest, left and right passive ankle dorsiflexion (imparted through the SHADE orthosis, O-PM, or neuromuscular electrical stimulation, NMES-PM), and during active isometric contraction (IC-AM).