Matching Items (19)
Description
As the application of interactive media systems expands to address broader problems in health, education and creative practice, they fall within a higher dimensional space for which it is inherently more complex to design. In response to this need an emerging area of interactive system design, referred to as experiential media systems, applies hybrid knowledge synthesized across multiple disciplines to address challenges relevant to daily experience. Interactive neurorehabilitation (INR) aims to enhance functional movement therapy by integrating detailed motion capture with interactive feedback in a manner that facilitates engagement and sensorimotor learning for those who have suffered neurologic injury. While INR shows great promise to advance the current state of therapies, a cohesive media design methodology for INR is missing due to the present lack of substantial evidence within the field. Using an experiential media based approach to draw knowledge from external disciplines, this dissertation proposes a compositional framework for authoring visual media for INR systems across contexts and applications within upper extremity stroke rehabilitation. The compositional framework is applied across systems for supervised training, unsupervised training, and assisted reflection, which reflect the collective work of the Adaptive Mixed Reality Rehabilitation (AMRR) Team at Arizona State University, of which the author is a member. Formal structures and a methodology for applying them are described in detail for the visual media environments designed by the author. Data collected from studies conducted by the AMRR team to evaluate these systems in both supervised and unsupervised training contexts is also discussed in terms of the extent to which the application of the compositional framework is supported and which aspects require further investigation. The potential broader implications of the proposed compositional framework and methodology are the dissemination of interdisciplinary information to accelerate the informed development of INR applications and to demonstrate the potential benefit of generalizing integrative approaches, merging arts and science based knowledge, for other complex problems related to embodied learning.
ContributorsLehrer, Nicole (Author) / Rikakis, Thanassis (Committee member) / Olson, Loren (Committee member) / Wolf, Steven L. (Committee member) / Turaga, Pavan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Stroke is a devastating disease that affects thousands of individuals each year. Stroke, specifically cerebral ischemia, and immune responses are important areas of study and focus. Previous studies on stroke in mouse models had shown the upregulation of a specific micro-RNA: miR-1224. We hypothesized that miR-1224 was responsible for the regulation of the ST2 receptor protein’s expression. We performed cellular transfection on murine splenocytes with four different miRNAs—miR-1224-mimic, miR-1224-inhibitor, miR-451-mimic, and a control. We predicted that transfection with 1224m would decrease ST2 expression, while transfection with 1224i would increase ST2 expression. Two complete trials were run, and analysis of the results included RT-PCR of both miRNA samples and mRNA samples to confirm transfection and controlled transcription. Reverse transcription and qPCR of miRNA was done in order to confirm that transfection was in fact successful. Reverse transcription and qPCR of the mRNA was done in order to confirm that ST2 mRNA was not altered; this allowed us to attribute any changes in ST2 protein levels to miRNA interactions, as the mRNA levels were consistent. Western blotting was done in order to assess relative protein content. We found that transfection with 1224m slightly decreased ST2 expression and transfection with 1224i slightly increased ST2 expression, however, after assessing the p-values through statistical analyses, neither difference was significant. As such, our hypothesis was rejected as it is not evident that miR-1224 plays a significant role on ST2 gene expression. Future studies are needed in order to analyze alternate protein targets to fully assess the role of miR-1224.
ContributorsReddy, Nihaal (Author) / Holechek, Susan (Thesis director) / Ahmad, Saif (Committee member) / Wood, Kristofer (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Background and Purpose— There is limited conclusive data on both pharmacological and holistic treatment options to improve cognition in adults after stroke. In particular, there is lacking evidence for cognitive rehabilitation in the subacute and chronic phases when cognitive impairment may be more perceptible. In this meta-analytic review, our primary objective was to determine the cognitive effects of aerobic exercise on post-stroke adults in the post-acute phases. Secondary objectives were to investigate the differential effects of aerobic exercise on sub-domains of cognitive function.
Methods— Data were extracted and filtered from electronic databases PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus. Intervention effects were represented by Hedges’ g and combined into pooled effect sizes using random effects models. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the Chi-squared (Q) and I-squared statistics.
Results— Five studies met inclusion criteria, representing data from 182 participants. The primary analysis produced a positive overall effect of aerobic exercise on cognitive performance (Hedges’ g [95% confidence interval]= 0.42 [0.007–0.77]). Effects were significantly different from zero for aerobic interventions combined with other physical activity interventions (Hedges’ g [CI] =0.59 [0.26 to 0.92]), but not for aerobic interventions alone (P= 0.40). In specific subdomains, positive moderate effects were found for global cognitive function (Hedges’ g [CI] =0.79 [0.31 to 1.26]) but not for attention and processing speed (P=0.08), executive function (P= 0.84), and working memory (P=0.92).
Conclusions— We determined that aerobic exercise combined with other modes of training produced a significant positive effect on cognition in adults after stroke in the subacute and chronic phases. Our analysis supports the use of combined training as a treatment option to enhance long-term cognitive function in adults after stroke. Further research is needed to determine the efficacy of aerobic training alone.
Methods— Data were extracted and filtered from electronic databases PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus. Intervention effects were represented by Hedges’ g and combined into pooled effect sizes using random effects models. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the Chi-squared (Q) and I-squared statistics.
Results— Five studies met inclusion criteria, representing data from 182 participants. The primary analysis produced a positive overall effect of aerobic exercise on cognitive performance (Hedges’ g [95% confidence interval]= 0.42 [0.007–0.77]). Effects were significantly different from zero for aerobic interventions combined with other physical activity interventions (Hedges’ g [CI] =0.59 [0.26 to 0.92]), but not for aerobic interventions alone (P= 0.40). In specific subdomains, positive moderate effects were found for global cognitive function (Hedges’ g [CI] =0.79 [0.31 to 1.26]) but not for attention and processing speed (P=0.08), executive function (P= 0.84), and working memory (P=0.92).
Conclusions— We determined that aerobic exercise combined with other modes of training produced a significant positive effect on cognition in adults after stroke in the subacute and chronic phases. Our analysis supports the use of combined training as a treatment option to enhance long-term cognitive function in adults after stroke. Further research is needed to determine the efficacy of aerobic training alone.
ContributorsMitchell, Michaela (Author) / Holzapfel, Simon (Thesis director) / Bosch, Pamela (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Background: Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in the United States (US). Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT) incorporates the use of an electric motor to enhance the rotations per minute (rpm). ACT of about 80 rpm, has been associated with improvements in motor, cognitive, and clinical function. The acute effects of ACT on motor and cognitive function of persons with stroke induced deficits have not been investigated.
Purpose: To compare the acute effects of ACT, voluntary cycling (VC), and no cycling (NC) on upper and lower extremity motor function and executive function in adults with chronic stroke (age: 60 ± 16 years; months since stroke: 96 ± 85).
Methods: Twenty-two participants (gender: female = 6, male = 16; types: ischemic = 12, hemorrhagic = 10; sides: left lesion = 15, right lesion = 7) completed one session of ACT, one session of VC and one session of NC on separate days using a 3 x 3 crossover design.
Results: ACT lead to greater improvements in lower and upper extremity function on the paretic and non-paretic side than VC or NC (all p < 0.05), except in the non-paretic lower extremity where ACT and VC produced similar improvement (both p < 0.05). ACT and VC, but not NC, were associated with improvements in inhibition (p < 0.05). A positive relationship between cadence and motor function (P < 0.05) was found. Ratings of perceived exertion shared an inverted-U shaped relationship with measures of processing speed (p < 0.05) and a negative linear relationship with measures of executive function (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: ACT appears to benefit paretic and non-paretic motor function globally whereas the benefits of VC are more task specific. Faster cycling cadence was associated with greater improvements in global motor function. ACT and VC seem to carry similar acute benefits in inhibition.
Purpose: To compare the acute effects of ACT, voluntary cycling (VC), and no cycling (NC) on upper and lower extremity motor function and executive function in adults with chronic stroke (age: 60 ± 16 years; months since stroke: 96 ± 85).
Methods: Twenty-two participants (gender: female = 6, male = 16; types: ischemic = 12, hemorrhagic = 10; sides: left lesion = 15, right lesion = 7) completed one session of ACT, one session of VC and one session of NC on separate days using a 3 x 3 crossover design.
Results: ACT lead to greater improvements in lower and upper extremity function on the paretic and non-paretic side than VC or NC (all p < 0.05), except in the non-paretic lower extremity where ACT and VC produced similar improvement (both p < 0.05). ACT and VC, but not NC, were associated with improvements in inhibition (p < 0.05). A positive relationship between cadence and motor function (P < 0.05) was found. Ratings of perceived exertion shared an inverted-U shaped relationship with measures of processing speed (p < 0.05) and a negative linear relationship with measures of executive function (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: ACT appears to benefit paretic and non-paretic motor function globally whereas the benefits of VC are more task specific. Faster cycling cadence was associated with greater improvements in global motor function. ACT and VC seem to carry similar acute benefits in inhibition.
ContributorsHolzapfel, Simon D (Author) / Ringenbach, Shannon D (Thesis advisor) / Bosch, Pamela R (Committee member) / Lee, Chong D (Committee member) / Der Ananian, Cheryl A (Committee member) / Hooker, Steven P (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
Virtual environments are used for many physical rehabilitation and therapy purposes with varying degrees of success. An important feature for a therapy environment is the real-time monitoring of a participants' movement performance. Such monitoring can be used to evaluate the environment in addition to the participant's learning. Methods for monitoring and evaluation include tracking kinematic performance as well as monitoring muscle and brain activities through EMG and EEG technology. This study aims to observe trends in individual participants' motor learning based on changes in kinematic parameters and use those parameters to characterize different types of learners. This information can then guide EEG/EMG data analysis in the future. The evaluation of motor learning using kinematic parameters of performance typically compares averages of pre- and post-data to identify patterns of changes of various parameters. A key issue with using pre- and post-data is that individual participants perform differently and have different time-courses of learning. Furthermore, different parameters can evolve at independent rates. Finally, there is great variability in the movements at early stages of learning a task. To address these issues, a combined approach is proposed using robust regression, piece-wise regression and correlation to categorize different participant's motor learning. Using the mixed reality rehabilitation system developed at Arizona State University, it was possible to engage participants in motor learning, as revealed by improvements in kinematic parameters. A combination of robust regression, piecewise regression and correlation were used to reveal trends and characterize participants based on motor learning of three kinematic parameters: trajectory error, supination error and the number of phases in the velocity profile.
ContributorsAttygalle, Suneth Satoshi (Author) / He, Jiping (Thesis advisor) / Rikakais, Thanassis (Committee member) / Iasemidis, Leonidas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
Does training in the upper extremity domain with startle translate to the speech domain post-stroke?
Description
The aim of this study was to assess whether exposing individuals who are 6-month post-stroke with an upper extremity motor deficit and some form of speech impairment (aphasia and/or apraxia) to upper extremity training utilizing Startle Adjuvant Rehabilitation Therapy (START) would result in improvement in symptoms of speech impairment. It was hypothesized that while scores on Diadochokinetic Rate (a measure of apraxia) and Repetition (a measure of aphasia) would improve by timepoint with START as compared to the Control group, measures of aphasia including Spontaneous Speech, Auditory Verbal Comprehension, and Naming would not be different in scores by timepoint. Subjects were recruited from two separate ongoing studies consisting of three days of similar upper extremity training on certain functional tasks with and without START and the speech assessments utilized were pulled from the Western Aphasia Battery (Revised) and Apraxia Battery for Adults 2nd Edition. It was found that there were no statistically significant differences by timepoint in either condition for any of the speech assessments. This proof-of-concept study is the first to assess whether the StartReact effect, when applied to the upper extremity domain, will translate into measurable improvements in speech impairment despite the lack of any speech training.
ContributorsTesman, Nathan (Author) / Honeycutt, Claire (Thesis director) / Rogalsky, Corianne (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
The human hand comprises complex sensorimotor functions that can be impaired by neurological diseases and traumatic injuries. Effective rehabilitation can bring the impaired hand back to a functional state because of the plasticity of the central nervous system to relearn and remodel the lost synapses in the brain. Current rehabilitation therapies focus on strengthening motor skills, such as grasping, employ multiple objects of varying stiffness and devices that are bulky, costly, and have limited range of stiffness due to the rigid mechanisms employed in their variable stiffness actuators. This research project presents a portable cost-effective soft robotic haptic device with a broad stiffness range that is adjustable and can be utilized in both clinical and home settings. The device eliminates the need for multiple objects by employing a pneumatic soft structure made with highly compliant materials that act as the actuator as well as the structure of the haptic interface. It is made with interchangeable soft elastomeric sleeves that can be customized to include materials of varying stiffness to increase or decrease the stiffness range. The device is fabricated using existing 3D printing technologies, and polymer molding and casting techniques, thus keeping the cost low and throughput high. The haptic interface is linked to either an open-loop system that allows for an increased pressure during usage or closed-loop system that provides pressure regulation in accordance with the stiffness the user specifies. A preliminary evaluation is performed to characterize the effective controllable region of variance in stiffness. Results indicate that the region of controllable stiffness was in the center of the device, where the stiffness appeared to plateau with each increase in pressure. The two control systems are tested to derive relationships between internal pressure, grasping force exertion on the surface, and displacement using multiple probing points on the haptic device. Additional quantitative evaluation is performed with study participants and juxtaposed to a qualitative analysis to ensure adequate perception in compliance variance. Finally, a qualitative evaluation showed that greater than 60% of the trials resulted in the correct perception of stiffness in the haptic device.
ContributorsSebastian, Frederick (Author) / Polygerinos, Panagiotis (Thesis advisor) / Santello, Marco (Committee member) / Fu, Qiushi (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
The article highlights the damage COVID-19 can cause by attacking brain tissue which can lead to several neurological disorders; it is a collection of systematic review and meta-analysis reviews as well as different scientific studies. The article addresses the background of COVID-19 and the distinction between Long COVID and COVID-19, along with the general pathway that the virus of COVID-19 takes to infect a cell at a cellular level. The variety of symptoms that individuals experience can be a topic of interest, and this article discusses the variability in COVID-19 infection. Moreover, SARS-COV-2 can enter the body in different ways and attack different types of cells within the body, thus the article brings attention to the different mechanisms of infection. Due to the brain damage that can be caused by COVID-19, there are several neurological disorders the article addresses including status epilepticus, stroke, acute necrotizing encephalopathy, encephalitis, hypogeusia, hyposmia, guillain-barre syndrome, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Although these disorders have different routes of treatment, the article briefly talks about general treatments for COVID-19 that include antiviral drugs, immune modulators, and monoclonal antibody treatment. Given the significance of COVID-19, more research should be done to understand the variety of neurological disorders that can be an effect of COVID-19 infection.
ContributorsMunn, Rebecca (Author) / Merkley, Ryan (Thesis director) / Melkozernov, Alexander (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the U.S., with up to 60% of strokescausing speech loss. Individuals with severe stroke, who require the most frequent, intense speech therapy, often cannot adhere to treatments due to high cost and low success rates. Therefore, the ability to make functionally significant changes in individuals with severe post- stroke aphasia remains a key challenge for the rehabilitation community. This dissertation aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Startle Adjuvant Rehabilitation Therapy (START), a tele-enabled, low- cost treatment, to improve quality of life and speech in individuals with severe-to-moderate stroke. START is the exposure to startling acoustic stimuli during practice of motor tasks in individuals with stroke. START increases the speed and intensity of practice in severely impaired post-stroke reaching, with START eliciting muscle activity 2-3 times higher than maximum voluntary contraction. Voluntary reaching distance, onset, and final accuracy increased after a session of START, suggesting a rehabilitative effect. However, START has not been evaluated during impaired speech. The objective of this study is to determine if impaired speech can be elicited by startling acoustic stimuli, and if three days of START training can enhance clinical measures of moderate to severe post-stroke aphasia and apraxia of speech. This dissertation evaluates START in 42 individuals with post-stroke speech impairment via telehealth in a Phase 0 clinical trial. Results suggest that impaired speech can be elicited by startling acoustic stimuli and that START benefits individuals with severe-to-moderate post-stroke impairments in both linguistic and motor speech domains. This fills an important gap in aphasia care, as many speech therapies remain ineffective and financially inaccessible for patients with severe deficits. START is effective, remotely delivered, and may likely serve as an affordable adjuvant to traditional therapy for those that have poor access to quality care.
ContributorsSwann, Zoe Elisabeth (Author) / Honeycutt, Claire F (Thesis advisor) / Daliri, Ayoub (Committee member) / Rogalsky, Corianne (Committee member) / Liss, Julie (Committee member) / Schaefer, Sydney (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Stroke remains a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. In recent studies, chronic vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been proven to enhance functional recovery when paired with motor rehabilitation training after stroke. Other studies have also demonstrated that delivering VNS during the onset of a stroke may elicit some neuroprotective effects as observed in remaining neural tissue and motor function. While these studies have demonstrated the benefits of VNS as a treatment or therapy in combatting stroke damage, the mechanisms responsible for these effects are still not well understood or known. The aim of this research was to further investigate the mechanisms underlying the efficacy of acute VNS treatment of stroke by observing the effect of VNS when applied after the onset of stroke. Animals were randomly assigned to three groups: Stroke animals received cortical ischemia (ET-1 injection), VNS+Stroke animals received acute VNS starting within 48 hours after cortical ischemia and continuing once per day for three days, or Control animals which received neither the injury nor stimulation. Results showed that stroke animals receiving acute VNS had smaller lesion volumes and larger motor cortical maps than those in the Stroke group. The results suggest VNS may confer neuroprotective effects when delivered within the first 96 hours of stroke.
ContributorsOkada, Kristen Yuri (Author) / Kleim, Jeffrey A (Thesis advisor) / Si, Jennie (Thesis advisor) / Helms Tillery, Stephen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019