Innovative Reflex-based Gait Rehabilitation

ended

Stroke is the third leading cause of disability, increasingly affecting individuals at the peak of their productive life representing an enormous impact on countries’ socio-economic development. Stroke rehabilitation is estimated in approx. €4.4bn in Europe and €3.3bn in the USA. The indirect cost to society (e.g. loss of productivity) is also severe, surpassing €11.5bn in the USA alone. Gait impairment is one of the most disabling sequelae of stroke, affecting 80% of stroke survivors, leading to independence loss, decreased self-reliance and declining in patients’ dignity, also with profound effects on caregivers (therapists or relatives). This makes gait recovery a major priority in the rehabilitation program for stroke survival patients. Conventional gait rehabilitation is based on physical therapy interventions where 2 physiotherapists are needed to start the training of a stroke patient: one holding the patient and another moving the foot of the hemiplegic limb. Nordic-NeuroSTIM (NNS) is presenting Incedo (a device, an electrode and a foot sensor): a novel reflex-based technology for gait rehabilitation that in a clinical trial lead to a 20% improvement in gait speed and better gait symmetry as compared to conventional rehabilitation. This leads to increased independence and self-reliance of stroke patients, while perfectly adapts to the current clinical practice. Ultimately, Incedo reduces the number of needed physiotherapists involved in gait training from 2 to 1. NNS has successfully launched Incedo™ in Denmark with very high impact in improving gait rehabilitation of stroke patients. The INNOGAIT innovation project will boost the market entrance and launching the system all over Europe and globally, helping to position NNS as the first mover in reflex-based neuroplasticity devices significantly reducing the socio-economic burden of gait impairment due to stroke.