臺北醫學大學 臺北神經醫學中心 校級神經醫學研究中心

     
       Currently, the majority of rehabilitation for patients were traditional rehabilitation, such as common physical therapy, drug therapy, speech therapy, and swallowing therapy. However, the effectiveness traditional rehabilitation is still limited. Hence, The Neuro-Rehabilitation Team at the Taipei Neuroscience Institute differs from traditional rehabilitation in therapy of patients, in addition to assisting patients undergoing traditional rehabilitation, it also helps patients overcome obstacles encountered during rehabilitation through high technology Neuro-Rehabilitation, enabling patients to progress day by day.

       Unlike general traditional rehabilitation, the focus of the Neuro-Rehabilitation Team at the Taipei Neuroscience Institute is primarily on high technology Neuro-Rehabilitation. First, using a method called "robotic rehabilitation system," which is further divided into upper limb rehabilitation system and lower limb rehabilitation system. The robot named "Lobo" is actually a rehabilitation assistant for upper limb rehabilitation, while another rehabilitation device is referred to as "Robot Assist" or "Get Training Assistant," which is for lower limb rehabilitation.

       In addition, the team conducts some non-invasive brain stimulation systems — transcranial repetitive magnetic stimulation. The Neuro-Rehabilitation Team at the Taipei Neuroscience Institute is responsible for rehabilitation across a range of areas, starting from peripheral rehabilitation and also includes transcranial repetitive stimulation, aiming to explore whether this rehabilitation method can provide more assistance to Neuro-Rehabilitation patients. Furthermore, the team also performs another non-invasive brain stimulation systems — transcranial electrical stimulation rehabilitation, which is challenging because passing electrical currents directly through the scalp is not easy and involves a shallower penetration of the brain layer, Therefore, team members investigate different parameters and methods to let electrical signal penetrating more deep brain layer.

       Moreover, the team conducts functional electrical stimulation system rehabilitation. This method is suitable for patients with brain injuries such as stroke or brain vascular injuries but without peripheral nervous system damage. Symptoms may manifest as the inability of the hand to move due to signal transmission failure, but peripheral nerve stimulation can elicit a response. Essentially, functional electrical stimulation operates on the principle of a robotic arm, relying on the assistance of a machine for hand movement.

       Finally, the use of Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) techniques is now increasingly common among neurological rehabilitation. Our team provide the available evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of gaming-based, virtual reality or augmented reality exercise on balance and mobility in individuals with stroke of Parkinson disease. In addition, we develop a system that integrates game-based and AR programs to provide treatment in individuals with neurological disorders.