The neuroplasticity of motor re-learning is a key pathway for recovery in neurorehabilitation. One critical challenge to devising treatment plans for motor recovery is the wide variation that exists between individuals, across movement repetitions, and even within movements. Development of a learning model that looks at these factors would better relate diagnoses to treatments, providing personalization and efficiency to therapy. This proposal aims to advance rehabilitation by building a modeling framework that explores the trends and exploits a fundamental learning process - error.~We are using research lab equipment at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (SRALab) Hospital's Robotics group. The equipment will be used to implement the reaching exercises and measure participant movement. The equipment includes:~Barret b.u.r.t. arm robot with Teneo forearm attachment~LookinGlass display system~LeapTM Sensor tracking tool~Day 1: Participants will undergo a screening and consenting session with a research therapist to assess enrollment eligibility.~Day2: If the participant meets all inclusion/exclusion criteria, they will return and complete a series of upper extremity outcome measures to characterize impairment level.~Day 3 and 4: The participant will then complete 1-2 intervention sessions using the Barret b.u.r.t. arm, LookinGlass display screen, and LeapTM tracking sensor. This intervention study will last anywhere from 15-min-90 min depending the equipment functioning. The intervention will consist of two phases:~Learning Phase to determine the individual's error likelihood~Training Phase to apply determined error likelihood to see if there are any changes in performance~Our goal is to preliminarily test the direct effect of this new treatment in preparation for the randomized controlled study to come. Understanding how error leads to better performance will help us program future devices for therapy for optimal outcomes.
This study is being done to see how errors lead to improvement. Specifically, we are evaluating the errors stroke participants make during an upper extremity exercise program when reaching for a target using their affected arm. Once we understand the participant's reaching errors, we plan to create a customized reaching exercise according to the individual's specific error tendencies which will lead to better performance on movement ability after training.