Watch Now: Robot Therapy Helps Stroke Patients Recover Movement

(Caption: A robot helps Cathy Crucet, a neurological rehabilitation patient, recover from a stroke and brain hemorrhage.)

Every year, more than 795,000 people in the U. S. have a stroke, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In some cases, survivors are left with paralysis on one side of the body, speech or vision problems or memory loss — and long-term rehabilitation is required.

Fortunately, the latest technology delivers effective therapy, according to Brad Aiken, M.D., medical director of the Neurological Rehabilitation Program at Baptist Hospital, which is part of Baptist Health Neuroscience Center.

The robots used at Baptist Hospital were developed at MIT and have been shown to improve movement, function and quality of life for people with moderate to severe upper limb impairment as a result of stroke. The technology uses an entertaining video interface to help patients perform certain movement patterns, using high numbers of repetitions to enhance the brain’s ability to recover. Robot therapy is almost like playing a video game and has really helped the recovery process, says Cathy Crucet, a neurological rehabilitation patient, who had a stroke and brain hemorrhage earlier this year.

The Baptist Health South Florida news team spoke to Ms. Crucet and Dr. Aiken at the Neurological Rehabilitation Center at Baptist Hospital. Watch now.