New Robotic Therapy for Children with Cerebral Palsy
MIT researchers, lead by Hermano Igo Krebs, have developed a new robotic technology to help children with cerebral palsy. The robotic devices have been in use for several years to assist patients that have suffered a stroke, however, it was not until recently that this new technology was utilized to benefit children with cerebral palsy.
The new robotic therapy is based on the principal that a patient’s brain can establish new connections when the robotic device guides the patient’s body in the proper direction.
The pilot studies show that children with cerebral palsy benefit from the robotic therapy more than adults with the same condition because they are better able to establish new connections.
This looks like a very promising development and a new project is underway to develop an ankle device, as to date, most devices focus on the upper body.
Here is a link to MIT’s website and the full article.
