Research
Stroke patients are involved in an interactive study
Banner Baywood Medical Center is involved in many exciting research studies as part of our commitment to improving lives through excellent patient care.
To learn more about our research projects or to find out if you qualify for a study, contact Research Director Barbara Lambeth at (480) 854-5178.
Studies seeking participants:
- Mixed Reality Rehabilitation: A interactive study for stroke patients
Recovering from a stroke usually requires extensive rehabilitation; researchers from Arizona State University and Banner Baywood Medical Center are collaborating to look for the most effective rehabilitation techniques.
The Arts, Media and Engineering (AME) program at Arizona State University has devised a new study to help stroke patients improve their motor skills and functional movements with an interactive computer program. "Mixed Reality Rehabilitation" gives patients immediate feedback, with guidance, motivation and encouragement to go through physical exercises correctly. The program is a collaboration between the Herberger College of the Arts and the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering.
The research's next phase is a partnership between ASU and the John J. Rhodes Rehabilitation Institute at Banner Baywood Medical Center. A scaled version of the system was installed at the medical center in March, and a study involving 30 participants was completed in May. The study is currently looking for new subjects.
The program works by partnering the patient's physical movement with images and sounds displayed on a large screen. As the patient moves an arm forward to touch a target, the image comes together like puzzle pieces and a musical phrase is performed. As motor functions improve, the program increases in intensity and complexity to better address the patient's needs.
The program uses principles from film directing, digital animation and musical scoring of movement to create feedback that intuitively communicates to patients their results.
