Design, development and validation of a new medical device for hand motor and cognitive evaluation and rehabilitation.

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Abstract

Stroke is a leading cause of disability in adults worldwide, with most patients experiencing some degree of chronic motor and cognitive disability that prevents them from performing certain activities of daily living. Rehabilitation should begin as soon as possible, with multidisciplinary evaluations and training where motor rehabilitation and cognitive approaches stand out. Traditionally, post-stroke rehabilitation strategies have been implemented separately in terms of motor and cognitive functions. However, recent studies show that hand motor interventions can have a positive impact on cognitive recovery. This thesis presents AMBER (Portable and Modular device for comprehensive Brain Evaluation and Rehabilitation), an innovative medical device designed to support the cognitive and motor evaluation and rehabilitation of the hand. AMBER is a simple, portable, ergonomic, and affordable device based on LED lights and force-sensitive resistors, in which each finger interaction is recorded to provide information on finger strength, processing speed, and visual memory.