High Technology-Assisted Rehabilitation Based on Neuropsychological Assessments in a Case of Severe Acquired Brain Injury.

Abstract

The rehabilitation of patients with severe acquired brain injury (sABI) presents various challenges. There is still a lack of knowledge regarding the efficacy and timing of high-technology (HT) rehabilitation in this clinical population. This paper describes the rehabilitation of a 56-year-old Caucasian woman who developed sABI due to the spontaneous rupture of multiple left middle cerebral artery aneurysms. The focus is on the interconnection between cognitive resources and motor-cognitive abilities to implement HT rehabilitation as early as possible, aiming to maximize the restoration of both motor and cognitive deficits. Following the acute clinical phase, the patient underwent an intensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation, which is described in this paper. The main target was the superior limb training with HT using an upper limb exoskeleton and augmented feedback exercises. The rehabilitative exercises have been selected and timed according to the neuropsychological assessment. The patient showed progressive cognitive and upper limb motor recovery along the tailored rehabilitative path. This case study provides useful insights into the value of a customized motor-cognitive HT rehabilitative approach, allowing for the best possible functional outcome in a case of sABI.