European Network on Robotics for NeuroRehabilitation

The aging of the European population will inevitably accelerate the demand for effective rehabilitative therapies to ameliorate the motor deficits caused by major age-associated neurological syndromes such as stroke. Robots for neurorehabilitation offer a significant advantage in addressing this need. They can extend substantially the capacities of therapists who work with patients suffering from motor impairments. Typical robotic devices can convey instructions to patients on how to perform specific movements, can assist and guide the execution of motor actions, and can objectively assess movement capabilities. The growing variety of robotic devices used in primary research and clinical practice offers a rich framework for expanding their use in an expanding number of different patient groups. The main objectives of this Action are firstly to develop new, efficient and patient-tailored robot-assisted therapies by coordinating basic and applied research perspectives. Secondly, the Action will provide a clear structured overview about existing and emerging robot-assisted therapies to clinicians and therapists, so they can increase the availability of effective, standardised clinical practice across Europe. The Action will be carried out by an interdisciplinary team of leading researchers from robot engineering, clinical motor neurorehabilitation, computational neuroscience and motor neuroimaging.