With Robots, a New Way to Understand Strokes

Maddi Sunshine
With Robots, a New Way to Understand Strokes
Summary: Everyday I go about my day and I take for granted all the little movements that my body is able to make. All these little movements involve reflexes and signaling from our brain to our body parts. Over 750,000 people suffer from strokes per year in the United States. Doctors have found that robotic therapy could be the help that people stroke victims can use to help them gain motion back in their paralyzed limbs. In the experiment they had a man sit in a chair wearing a skull cap so they could have access to the brain activity allowing them to see all the brain signals. They also had an arm hooked to a robot by a mechanical sleeve. The device would change the weight of the arm allowing the brain to make less signals to the arm because it was weightless then later added weight to create resistance to make the arm stronger.
Critique: I thought this was a well written and very professional article. It was very informing.
Impact: This could change the way the world reacts to a loved one having a stroke. It can be very scary but this gives hope to the people that through the pain and therapy someone who suffered a stroke can overcome being paralyzed and begin moving again.
Reference: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/us/robotic-technology-to-help-understand-and-treat-strokes.html?ref=science