Handelzalts Shirley, Ballardini Giulia, Avraham Chen, Pagano Mattia, Casadio Maura, Nisky Ilana
Department of Physical Therapy, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.
The Translational Neurorehabilitation Lab at Adi Negev Nahalat Eran, Ofakim, Israel.
Front Neurorobot. 2021 Feb 17;15:617636. doi: 10.3389/fnbot.2021.617636. eCollection 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for advancing the development and implementation of novel means for home-based telerehabilitation in order to enable remote assessment and training for individuals with disabling conditions in need of therapy. While somatosensory input is essential for motor function, to date, most telerehabilitation therapies and technologies focus on assessing and training motor impairments, while the somatosensorial aspect is largely neglected. The integration of tactile devices into home-based rehabilitation practice has the potential to enhance the recovery of sensorimotor impairments and to promote functional gains through practice in an enriched environment with augmented tactile feedback and haptic interactions. In the current review, we outline the clinical approaches for stimulating somatosensation in home-based telerehabilitation and review the existing technologies for conveying mechanical tactile feedback (i.e., vibration, stretch, pressure, and mid-air stimulations). We focus on tactile feedback technologies that can be integrated into home-based practice due to their relatively low cost, compact size, and lightweight. The advantages and opportunities, as well as the long-term challenges and gaps with regards to implementing these technologies into home-based telerehabilitation, are discussed.
新冠疫情凸显了推进新型居家远程康复手段的开发与实施的必要性，以便为需要治疗的残疾人士提供远程评估和训练。虽然体感输入对运动功能至关重要，但迄今为止，大多数远程康复疗法和技术都侧重于评估和训练运动障碍，而体感方面在很大程度上被忽视了。将触觉设备整合到居家康复实践中，有可能通过在具有增强触觉反馈和触觉交互的丰富环境中进行练习，促进感觉运动障碍的恢复并推动功能改善。在当前的综述中，我们概述了在居家远程康复中刺激体感的临床方法，并回顾了用于传递机械触觉反馈（即振动、拉伸、压力和空中刺激）的现有技术。我们关注那些由于成本相对较低、尺寸紧凑且重量轻而可整合到居家实践中的触觉反馈技术。本文还讨论了将这些技术应用于居家远程康复的优势与机遇，以及长期面临的挑战和差距。
