CogWatch - Automated assistance and rehabilitation of stroke-induced action disorders in the home environment

Abstract

Stroke frequently causes apraxia, particularly if it affects the left-hemisphere. A major symptom of apraxia is the presence of deficits during the execution and organization of activities of daily living (ADL). These deficits may substantially limit the capacity of stroke patients to live independently in their home environment. Traditional rehabilitative techniques to improve ADL function revolve around physical and occupational therapy. This approach is labor intensive and constraints therapy to clinical environments. The CogWatch system provides an supplementary means of rehabilitation that is based on instrumented objects and ambient devices that are part of patients' everyday environment and can be used to monitor behavior and progress as well as re-train them to carry out ADL through persistent multimodal feedback. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.