Ofakim

This research aims to evaluate a new robotic system designed to help people with Parkinsons disease PD improve both motor and cognitive functions. The study focuses on a gamified rehabilitation approach that uses robots and music while participants are seated. Researchers will collect both subjective feedback from users and objective measurements of motor and cognitive performance to understand the systems effects. The study will involve 15 individuals with Parkinsons disease, aged 50 to 75, who will each use the robotic system five times, with each session lasting 30 minutes. The intervention includes features like repetitive and goal-oriented practice, varied difficulty levels, rhythmic cues, and social interaction. This is the first socially assistive robotic platform developed specifically for people with PD, and it may become part of clinical rehabilitation tools if successful. Participants will undergo assessments before the first session and after completing all five sessions. These evaluations include cognitive tests like the MoCA and Color Trails Test, motor assessments such as the UPDRS and Box & Blocks Test, and questionnaires on usability, motivation, and satisfaction. Researchers will monitor engagement levels and improvements in motor and cognitive functions over the course of the study, which is expected to continue until August 2025.

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and death, often resulting in lasting motor and cognitive challenges that impact daily life. Researchers are studying whether a high-dose, high-intensity training program during the early weeks after stroke can improve upper limb motor recovery. This trial focuses on stroke survivors in the subacute phase, aiming to better understand rehabilitation effects during this critical period. Participants will receive extra technology-based upper extremity training for 120 minutes per day, five days a week, over four weeks. This tailored program is added to the usual hospital treatment and designed to match each persons level of impairment. The study compares this group to a matched group receiving standard care without the additional training. During the six-month study, participants will be assessed before training, immediately after the four-week program, and at six months post-stroke. Researchers will measure motor function using clinical tests like the Fugl-Meyer and Action Research Arm Test, stroke impact scales, and movement kinematics. They will also track adherence, pain levels, exertion, motivation, and activity during training sessions to understand recovery and program effects fully.

Researchers are studying how recovery progresses in people who have had a stroke, focusing on changes in thinking, movement, and sensation. This observational study is part of the RESTRO project, which aims to evaluate an accessible and affordable neurorehabilitation program to improve recovery and quality of life after stroke. The study will follow stroke patients over the first 6 to 12 months after their stroke and compare data from three different sites. Participants are part of non-interventional groups recruited from three centers in Israel and Palestine. The study does not test new treatments but monitors natural recovery using various assessments. Data will be collected at multiple time points, including baseline less than 3 weeks after stroke, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year, to track progress and relate it to the rehabilitation programs provided at each site. During the study, participants will undergo repeated tests measuring motor skills, sensory function, cognitive abilities, and walking performance using tools like the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, Action Research Arm Test, and 10-meter walk test. Additional evaluations include stroke severity scales, self-efficacy questionnaires, and various coordination, balance, and gait analyses. Researchers will also record demographic and medical history information. The study is designed to provide a detailed picture of stroke recovery over a year without providing any specific intervention.

Researchers are investigating the daily upper limb movements of people who have had a stroke and how these movements relate to their recovery and impairment levels. This study is part of a larger project called The Natural History of Stroke Recovery. The research aims to develop and validate algorithms and software using wearable sensors called Inertial Measuring Units IMUs to monitor upper limb activity, and to test proprioception acuity based on muscle electrical activity measured by surface electromyography EMG. The study involves observing two groups persons after a stroke and healthy individuals. Participants will wear IMUs to track hand movements, joint range, wrist distance, and other movement features during one or two sessions lasting 1 to 6 hours each. Researchers will also assess muscle synergies and proprioception acuity during active and passive movements using EMG. These observations and tests will be used to understand the relationship between daily arm movements and recovery in stroke patients. Participants will be monitored with detailed movement tracking and clinical assessments such as the Fugl-Meyer Assessment and Action Research Arm Test during the first month after recruitment. The study will collect data on movement count, duration, joint range, angular velocity, and whole body movement time. Stroke patients will be medically stable and able to consent, while healthy volunteers will serve as controls. The total involvement includes a few extended monitoring sessions and clinical tests to assess recovery and motor function.