Robots bring new hope for stroke patients

A major new research programme using robots to help stroke patients regain movement in their arms has been officially launched by the NHS in the North East today.

It will be led by stroke specialists at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, alongside researchers from Newcastle University.

North Tyneside General Hospital is one of the first in the country to house the new state-of-the-art stroke ‘rehabilitation robots’ from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US after investing over £250,000.

Now, the hospital will lead the research programme in the North East, working with stroke patients from across Tyne and Wear.

• HOW DOES ROBOT ASSISTED THERAPY WORK?

During robot assisted training, the person who has had a stroke sits at a table facing a computer screen and places their arm onto the device.

The therapist then asks the patient to undertake some arm exercises such as moving between targets on the computer screen.

If the person is unable to move their arm then the robot moves the patient’s arm to complete the task.

If the patient initiates movement, the robot provides adjustable levels of assistance to facilitate the person’s arm movement – all of which helps the brain and arm to learn to work together again.

Researchers from Newcastle University will work in collaboration with teams from the Universities of Glasgow, East London and Cambridge, as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and NHS stroke teams.