In many patients, incidents of stroke result in partial paralysis of one side of the body. Sensory conversion, the revolutionary concept of transferring stimulation from the body’s functioning side to the body’s paralyzed area, is finding practical application in mobile rehabilitation presently taking place at the ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran’s Translational Lab. The research and development of a system for transfer stimulation is being led by Professor Ilana Niski, head of the Robotics and Bio-Medical Lab in the Bio-Medical Engineering Department at Ben Gurion University in the Negev, and Dr. Simona Bar Hayim of the Health Science Faculty at Ben Gurion University and founder and director of the Negev Lab.
In the Negev Lab, a joint collaboration between ADI Negev Nahalat Eran and Ben Gurion University, leading researchers, engineers and clinicians work in close cooperation to advance and develop the next generation of rehabilitation practices as they translate scientific research into clinical applications.
This innovative development, funded by the Israel Innovation Authority, stands at the forefront of technology and will eventually change current emphases in mobility rehabilitation treatment for people after stroke. The system being developed makes use of an innovative belt that provides real-time monitoring of movement in stroke patients. The belt recognizes the specific stage of walking at any given moment and, with exact timing, sends sensory stimulation from the healthy area (the undamaged sensory area) to complete the sensory information missing in the paralyzed limb.
ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran is setting a new model for rehabilitation in Israel and throughout the world, and we will continue to study, develop and advance rehabilitation to benefit of all those in need.
