Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Daniel Pinto, Allen W. Heinemann, Shuo-Hsiu Chang, Susan Charlifue, Edelle C. Field-Fote, Catherine L. Furbish, Arun Jayaraman, Candace Tefertiller, Heather B. Taylor, Dustin D. French
Summary: This study aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of locomotor training strategies following spinal cord injury (SCI) by injury status (complete versus incomplete). The results showed that conventional training was more cost-effective than overground robotic training for patients with incomplete SCI, while overground robotic training was more cost-effective than conventional training for patients with complete SCI.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENGINEERING AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Rehabilitation
Linda Ehrlich-Jones, Deborah S. Crown, Dominique Kinnett-Hopkins, Edelle Field-Fote, Cathy Furbish, Chaithanya K. Mummidisetty, Rachel A. Bond, Gail Forrest, Arun Jayaraman, Allen W. Heinemann
Summary: The study examined the experiences of clinicians who have used robotic exoskeletons in practice, revealing benefits such as reduced physical burden and increased patient mobility. However, concerns remain regarding patient selection, expectation management, and training.
ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Nicola Postol, Neil J. Spratt, Andrew Bivard, Jodie Marquez
Summary: This study evaluated the feasibility of therapy with a free-standing exoskeleton for individuals with SCI and found potential health benefits for a small subset of patients. Participants showed positive trends in function and other outcomes, and the intervention was highly acceptable to all. Further research is needed to determine the characteristics of patients most likely to benefit from this intervention.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENGINEERING AND REHABILITATION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Loreto Garcia-Alen, Hatice Kumru, Yolanda Castillo-Escario, Jesus Benito-Penalva, Josep Medina-Casanovas, Yury P. P. Gerasimenko, Victor Reggie Edgerton, Guillermo Garcia-Alias, Joan Vidal
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cervical transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) combined with an exoskeleton on motor strength and functionality of the upper extremities in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). The results showed that this combined treatment significantly improved the motor strength and functionality of the upper extremities compared to using an exoskeleton alone.
Article
Rehabilitation
Claire Shackleton, Robert Evans, Sacha West, Jason Bantjes, Leslie Swartz, Wayne Derman, Yumna Albertus
Summary: This study conducted a randomized pilot and feasibility trial of a locomotor training program in South Africa, focusing on individuals with chronic traumatic motor incomplete tetraplegia. The results showed that Robotic Locomotor Training (RLT) had significant effects on improving upper extremity motor score and abdominal strength, as well as walking capacity. These findings support the feasibility of RLT as a potential rehabilitation tool for people with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) and justify further research.
DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Christopher C. H. Yip, Chor-Yin Lam, Kenneth M. C. Cheung, Yat Wa Wong, Paul A. Koljonen
Summary: In addition to helping individuals with SCI regain ambulation, robotic exoskeletons offer biophysical benefits that can reduce complications from immobilization. These benefits include improved upper body fitness, circulatory response, bowel movement regularity, and reduced pain and spasticity. Exoskeleton use has also been suggested to improve quality of life and increase participation in day-to-day activities. However, there is a lack of large-scale and conclusive studies on the effects of exoskeleton use.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Rehabilitation
James J. Laskin, Zeina Waheed, Nancy P. Thorogood, Tom E. Nightingale, Vanessa K. Noonan
Summary: This scoping review provides an overview of the current status of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) research for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The review identifies the need for more rigorous study designs, larger sample sizes, comparative studies, improved reporting of stimulation parameters and adverse event data, and alignment of outcomes with the priorities of the SCI community.
ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
(2022)
Article
Rehabilitation
Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, Daniel Pinto, Chaithanya K. Mummidisetty, Arun Jayaraman, Candy Tefertiller, Susan Charlifue, Heather B. Taylor, Shuo-Hsiu Chang, Nicholas McCombs, Catherine L. Furbish, Edelle C. Field-Fote, Allen W. Heinemann
Summary: This observational study aimed to characterize individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) using outpatient physical therapy or community wellness services for locomotor training. The study found that the duration of services for the conventional therapy group was longer than for the robotic exoskeleton group, but each visit was shorter in total time. Men had a longer duration of services than women.
ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Jocelyn Sze-wing Ho, Koko Shaau-yiu Ko, Sheung Wai Law, Gene Chi-wai Man
Summary: This review examined the effectiveness of robotic therapy (RT) in improving upper limb function for individuals with cervical spinal cord injuries (cSCI), showing mixed evidence. Although RT was found to be safe, feasible, and reduce therapist time, further research is needed to evaluate its long-term effects.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Yury Ivanenko, Elena Y. Shapkova, Daria A. Petrova, Daria F. Kleeva, Mikhail A. Lebedev
Summary: Neuromodulation through spinal cord electrical stimulation (SCES) is effective in restoring function, but its effectiveness can be enhanced by combining it with exoskeleton gait training (EGT) that promotes activity-dependent plasticity. Assessing individual characteristics of spinal cord function is important for developing personalized SCES and EGT therapies. Combining SCES and EGT can have a synergistic rehabilitative effect on restoring multiple functions in paralyzed individuals.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Rehabilitation
Gongkai Ye, Emerson Paul Grabke, Maureen Pakosh, Julio C. Furlan, Kei Masani
Summary: The study comprehensively evaluated the clinical benefits and engineering designs of functional electrical stimulation (FES)-rowing in individuals with spinal cord injury, finding that FES-rowing can improve cardiovascular performance and reduce bone density loss. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to determine the optimal setup for FES-rowing that maximizes rehabilitation outcomes.
ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
(2021)
Article
Rehabilitation
David S. Tulsky, Aaron J. Boulton, Pamela A. Kisala, Allen W. Heinemann, Susan Charlifue, Claire Z. Kalpakjian, Allan J. Kozlowski, Elizabeth R. Felix, Denise C. Fyffe, Mary D. Slavin, Denise G. Tate
Summary: This observational cohort study analyzed the trajectories of functional recovery in 479 patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) during the first 2 years after injury. The results showed that the majority of patients exhibited gradual improvements in functional levels within the first 6 months after injury, while some patients had slower functional recovery and greater initial limitations. There were variations in the improvement patterns for fine motor function and self-care. Injury and demographic factors predicted initial functional levels but had less influence on the rates of recovery.
ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
(2022)
Article
Robotics
Guoxin Li, Zhijun Li, Zhen Kan
Summary: This article introduces an assimilation control method that reshapes the physical interaction trajectory to enable collaboration and competition in human-robot systems. It utilizes force feedback to achieve safe manipulation and broader interaction behaviors.
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Mark Andrew Wright, Franziska Herzog, Anna Mas-Vinyals, Alfons Carnicero-Carmona, Joan Lobo-Prat, Cornelia Hensel, Steffen Franz, Norbert Weidner, Joan Vidal, Eloy Opisso, Ruediger Rupp
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the safety, feasibility, and usability of the ABLE Exoskeleton for individuals with spinal cord injury in clinical settings. The results show that safe gait training with the ABLE Exoskeleton in hospital settings improves clinical outcomes for persons with SCI. The study protocol allows for consistent comparison with other exoskeleton trials and can serve as a framework for standardizing early clinical evaluations.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENGINEERING AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Wentan Liu, Jianer Chen
Summary: This study discusses the efficacy of exoskeleton robotic training on ambulation recovery in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The results show that exoskeleton robotic training is more effective in improving ambulation, especially for patients with a duration of injury within six months.
JOURNAL OF SPINAL CORD MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Rehabilitation
Callie E. Tyner, Pamela A. Kisala, Allen W. Heinemann, Denise Fyffe, Denise G. Tate, Mary D. Slavin, Alan M. Jette, David S. Tulsky
Summary: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the SCI-FI instruments in a community-dwelling sample, and found that the instruments demonstrated good test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and known-groups validity.
ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jessica Pruente, Allen W. Heinemann, Kathy Zebracki, Shubra Mukherjee, Deborah Gaebler-Spira
Summary: The study aimed to describe the adult outcomes of spinal cord injury (SCI) caused by gun injuries compared to non-violent etiologies, as well as their utilization of health services. The results showed that the gun injury group had lower educational attainment and income level, despite similar employment rates. The study suggests that gun injuries are associated with decreased educational attainment and lifetime income.
JOURNAL OF SPINAL CORD MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Rehabilitation
Huacong Wen, Michael J. DeVivo, Allen W. Heinemann, James S. Krause, Susan Robinson-Whelen, Yuying Chen
Summary: This study highlights the association between BMI and mortality after spinal cord injury, showing higher mortality risk among patients with low and extremely high BMI. Health care professionals should focus on weight management, and future research should explore factors contributing to increased mortality.
ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
(2022)
Article
Rehabilitation
Jessica Kersey, Lauren Terhorst, Joy Hammel, Carolyn Baum, Joan Toglia, Michael W. O'Dell, Allen W. Heinemann, Michael McCue, Elizabeth R. Skidmore
Summary: The Control subscale required 9 points of change, and the Importance subscale required 11 points of change, to achieve statistically and clinically meaningful changes, suggesting adequate sensitivity to change.
CLINICAL REHABILITATION
(2022)
Article
Rehabilitation
Sherri L. LaVela, Jessica Pedersen, Linda Ehrlich-Jones, Allen W. Heinemann
Summary: Informal caregivers of SCI care recipients may experience emotional and physical burden when taking on extra caregiving tasks related to weight management, but they may also benefit from positive impacts such as increased motivation and emotional well-being. Integrating education about the potential impacts of weight management efforts into rehabilitation practice could help reduce overweight-related problems and improve disability outcomes in dyads.
DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Francesca Gimigliano, Vanessa M. Young, Chiara Arienti, Silvia Bargeri, Greta Castellini, Silvia Gianola, Stefano G. Lazzarini, Antimo Moretti, Allen W. Heinemann, Stefano Negrini
Summary: This review examines the effectiveness of behavioral interventions for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) triggered by physical injury or medical trauma. It suggests that trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy can be effective in reducing PTSD symptoms. However, the effectiveness of these interventions in improving functioning and quality of life remains uncertain. Further research is needed to explore their efficacy in the context of rehabilitation management and gather evidence on this population.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Rehabilitation
Stephen C. L. Lau, Lisa Tabor Connor, Allen W. Heinemann, Carolyn M. Baum
Summary: Network analysis helps to understand the complex dynamics of cognitive constructs and the interplay between cognition and daily life activities. This study characterizes the cognition network, identifies central and bridge cognitive constructs, and explores the pathway connecting cognition and daily life activities.
OTJR-OCCUPATION PARTICIPATION AND HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Rehabilitation
T. S. Jesus, B. Z. Stern, J. Struhar, A. Deutsch, A. W. Heinemann
Summary: This study aims to characterize the use of patient experience feedback for person-centered rehabilitation quality improvement and codesign activities. The results showed that there were few examples of such use in the rehabilitation literature, and patient experience improvement activities relied mainly on retrospective survey data without combining more actionable forms of patient experience feedback. Further research is needed to design activities that collect and utilize patient experience feedback for rehabilitation service improvements.
CLINICAL REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Rehabilitation
Han Su, Jasin Wong, Angelika Kudla, Mirang Park, Robert Trierweiler, Pamela Capraro, Deborah Crown, Nnaemezie Ezeife, Stephanie Tomazin, Elizabeth G. S. Munsell, Allen W. Heinemann
Summary: This research aimed to explore disability phenotypes, frequently used accommodations, and employee- and job-related factors associated with the extent of job accommodation use. The survey identified three disability phenotypes and found that flexible working schedules, telework, and access to a support person in the workplace were the most common accommodations. Accommodation use was found to be associated with employee- and job-related factors.
JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Rehabilitation
Linda Resnik, Matthew Borgia, Allen W. Heinemann, Phillip Stevens, Melissa A. Clark, Pengsheng Ni
Summary: This study aims to develop a self-report measure of activity performance for upper limb prosthesis users that quantifies outcomes by level of amputation and prosthesis type. Through a telephone survey and analysis of the data, the study obtained some psychometric properties of the measure. The measure showed differences in performance among users with different levels of amputation.
DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Daniel Pinto, Allen W. Heinemann, Shuo-Hsiu Chang, Susan Charlifue, Edelle C. Field-Fote, Catherine L. Furbish, Arun Jayaraman, Candace Tefertiller, Heather B. Taylor, Dustin D. French
Summary: This study aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of locomotor training strategies following spinal cord injury (SCI) by injury status (complete versus incomplete). The results showed that conventional training was more cost-effective than overground robotic training for patients with incomplete SCI, while overground robotic training was more cost-effective than conventional training for patients with complete SCI.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENGINEERING AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Jonathan S. Theros, Katelyn B. Zumpf, Tara Lagu, Saieesh Rao, Brian J. Nasca, Allen W. Heinemann, Michael B. Shapiro, Karl Y. Bilimoria, Anne M. Stey
Summary: Post-acute care following SCI or TBI has a significant impact on neurological function recovery. Inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) show better outcomes and lower mortality rates compared to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). This study explores the access to inpatient rehabilitation based on insurance and estimates the associated costs.
JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA
(2023)
Review
Gerontology
Jasin Wong, Jessica Pedersen, Niveda Tennety, Lindsay DuBois, Rudyard Chiu, Dhrumil Shah, Glenn Malecki, Q. Eileen Wafford, Allen W. W. Heinemann
Summary: Home and community-based services (HCBS) help people with disabilities and older adults live in their homes, and it is important to use person-centered approaches when developing support plans. This study identified key competencies for delivering person-centered supports and examined the relationship between HCBS and its outcomes.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED GERONTOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Rehabilitation
Stefano Negrini, Kristian Borg, Anne Cusick, Giorgio Ferriero, Walter R. Frontera, Douglas P. Gross, Allen Heinemann, Wendy Machalicek, Ann Patricia Moore, Randolph J. Nudo, Dominic Perennou, Henk Stam, Carlotte Kiekens
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION
(2023)
Review
Gerontology
Amber K. Hsu, Sarah M. Bassett, Linda C. O'Dwyer, Megan McHugh, Allen W. Heinemann, Neil Jordan, Sumitrajit Dhar
Summary: The review suggests that hearing screening in older adults is cost-effective, particularly with fewer repeated screenings and younger ages. However, evidence is limited and there is an urgent need for further research focusing on the economic impacts of hearing healthcare in older adults.