Pediatric Rehab Research Group

Background information:

This project aims to create and evaluate a child-friendly augmented biofeedback system and virtual reality (VR) environment in which the patients are able to practise their therapeutic goals while walking in the paediatric Lokomat. The VR-based technology enables to increase the attractiveness and therewith the motivation of the locomotion training especially for children.

Goal

To determine the effects of virtual reality environments on motivation and active participation in children with neurological gait disorders while training with the Lokomat gait orthosis.

Project onset and end

From: June 2007
Until:

Project members

• Karin Brütsch
• Tabea Schuler
• Andreas Meyer-Heim

Cooperating partners

• Institute of Neuropsychology, University of Zurich, Prof. Lutz Jäncke, Dr. Susan Mérillat (-Koeneke)
• Sensory-Motor Systems Lab, ETH Zurich, Prof. Robert Riener, Alex König
• Hocoma AG, Dr. Lars Lünenburger, Lukas Zimmerli
• Zürcher Hochschule der Künste ZHdK, Game Design, Prof. Ulrich Götz, René Bauer, Reto Spörri, Florian Faller

Specific subprojects

• Virtual Realities as a Motivation Tool for the Gait Training in the Paediatric Lokomat: An EMG survey.
• Master thesis Tabea Schuler (Human Movement Sciences ETH Zurich)
• Influencing Stance Phase Activity in Children with Neurological Disorders While Walking with a Virtual Reality-based Robotic Assisted Gait Trainer.
• Bachelor thesis Sabrina Schaumann (Hochschule Fresenius, University of Applied Sciences)

Sponsor

• Olga Mayenfish Stiftung
• Forschungskredit UZH

Publications

• Brütsch K., Koenig A., Zimmerli L., Guidali M., Duschau-Wicke A., Wellner M., Meyer-Heim, A.,Lünenburger L., Koeneke S., Jäncke L., Riener R. (2008). Virtual reality increases participation of children with CP in robot-aided treadmill training. Proceedings of Virtual Rehabilitation, Vancouver Canada, 121-126.
• Brütsch K, Schuler T, Koenig A, Zimmerli L, Mérillat (-Koeneke) S, Lünenburger L, Riener R, Jäncke L, Meyer-Heim A. (2010). Influence of virtual reality soccer game on walking performance in robotic assisted gait training for children. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2010 Apr 22;7:15.
• Brütsch K, Borggraefe I, Meyer-Heim A. Roboter-assistierte Gangtherapie in virtueller Umgebung: neue Perspektiven in der Neurorehabilitation von Kindern.
• Praxis der Kinder-Reha, Spezial –Themenheft: Praxis Physiotherapie 2010; Mai: 26-30
• Brütsch, K., König, A., Zimmerli, L., Mérillat (-Köneke), S., Riener, R., Jäncke, L., Meyer-Heim, A. Virtual reality for Enhancement of Robotic Assisted Gait Training with children with Central Gait Disorders (submitted).
• Schuler T., Brütsch K., Müller R., L., Meyer-Heim A. Virtual reality as a Motivational Tool for Robotic Assisted Gait Training in Children: A Surface Electromyography Study (submitted).