Visual Augmentation Through Virtual Reality to Rehabiliate the Hand after Stroke

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的驱动力反映了开发科学基础，经验测试和可访问的治疗方法的需要，这些治疗方法可以最大限度地提高中风后恢复手部功能的康复效果。候选人的短期目标是测试一套基于神经科学和运动学习原理的新型干预措施，以减少中风后的损伤和增加手部功能。他的长期目标是使这些干预措施在诊所以外的环境中广泛适用于中风患者。研究项目：恢复手部功能（手指个性化，精确抓握和力量产生）是最令人生畏的，也是中风后最少解决的问题。候选人将虚拟现实中的特定视觉反馈与损伤类型相结合，以测试：1）仅将视觉反馈聚焦到相关的运动错误将恢复手指个性化，2）时间锁定到运动命令的“适当”视觉反馈将有效地形成更好的手部协调模式，以及3）虚拟镜子视觉反馈可以减少手部麻痹。职业发展计划：候选人具有基础科学家（运动控制）和物理治疗师的强大背景。这个指导项目将使他能够发展成为一个独立的临床研究人员。他将在6个领域进行密集培训：1）中风病理学，2）运动学习应用于中风，3）虚拟现实作为治疗交付工具，4）TMS作为神经可塑性分析工具，5）神经胶质瘤，以及6）临床研究中的生物统计学。研究环境：UMDNJ和哥伦比亚（候选人和导师的机构）的资源和支持是杰出的。UMDNJ已经将候选人从教学中解放出来，将至少80%的时间投入到项目中&每周在导师的实验室工作3天。世界公认的专家将组成导师团队。这些成分应该把他放在一个独特的位置，发展成为一个强大的和独立的临床研究人员。 公共卫生相关性：多学科项目是生物医学工程，康复，神经科学和运动学习的合并。所获得的知识将对公共卫生产生深远的影响：1）描述中风后大脑重组的潜力，2）使中风患者更容易进行干预（通过将这种方法应用于家庭系统），以及3）提高质量经验证明的康复。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The driving force for this project reflects the need to develop scientifically grounded, empirically tested, and accessible therapies that maximize rehabilitation outcomes for restoring hand function after stroke. The candidate's short-term goal is to test a set of novel interventions, grounded in principles of neuroscience and motor learning, in reducing impairment & increasing hand function after stroke. His long-term goal is to make these interventions broadly accessible to stroke patients in environments beyond the clinic. Research project: Reinstating hand function (finger individuation, precision grip, & force production) is most daunting and least addressed after stroke. The candidate will couple specific visual feedback in virtual reality with impairment type to test if: 1) focusing visual feedback only to pertinent movement errors will restore finger individuation, 2) 'proper' visual feedback time-locked to motor commands will operantly shape better hand coordination patterns, and 3) virtual mirror visual feedback can reduce hand paresis. Career development plan: The candidate has a strong background as a basic scientist (motor control) & physical therapist. This mentored project will enable him to develop into an independent clinical researcher. He will train intensely in 6 areas: 1) stroke pathology, 2) motor learning applications to stroke, 3) virtual reality as a therapy delivery tool, 4) TMS as a neuroplasticity assay tool, 5) grantsmanship, and 6) biostatistics in clinical research. Research environment: The resources & support at UMDNJ & Columbia (the candidate's & mentor's institutions) is outstanding. UMDNJ has freed the candidate from teaching to devote at least 80% of his time to the project & 3 days/week at the mentor's lab. World recognized experts will make up the mentorship team. These ingredients should put him in a unique position to develop into a strong & independent clinical researcher. Public Health Relevance: The multidisciplinary project is a merger of biomedical engineering, rehabilitation, neuroscience, and motor learning. Knowledge gained will have far reaching implications in public health by: 1) describing the potential for brain reorganization after stroke, 2) making intervention more accessible to stroke patients (by adapting this method to a home-based system), and 3) improving the quality of empirically-proven rehabilitation.