The Perfetti method, a novel virtual fine motor rehabilitation system for chronic acquired brain injury

Abstract

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is a disability with a high worldwide incidence that requires the assistance of a multidisciplinary team of clinic specialists. Motor disorders in patients of this type include dysfunctions in upper limbs, arm-hand impairments, spasticity, and functionalities that patients need to recover in order to perform the basic and instrumented activities of daily living. Traditional rehabilitation techniques in upper-limb rehabilitation for improving motor recovery are focused on repetitive and high-intensity task-specific training. Promising new systems based on Virtual Fine Motor Rehabilitation (VFMR) are a novel approach in the rehabilitation process. In this paper, we describe a VFMR system (VPREHAB) for Chronic ABI patients to improve the effectiveness of upper-limb rehabilitation. For this purpose, we are testing the usefulness of the Perfetti method, a cognitive sensory motor therapy.