Emerging Technologies in Neurological Rehabilitation
摘要
Neurological disorders are gradually rising globally and are the leading cause of long-term disability, creating a serious healthcare challenge. Impairment and disability associated with these conditions create a significant economic, social, and healthcare burden on the community. Neurological disorders such as Stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis cause motor and cognitive impairment, with limited functional outcomes. These impairments lead to restricted activity and participation, a decline in quality of life, and increased long-term dependence. Conventional rehabilitation is crucial for restoring functional recovery, but it is limited by insufficient, inaccessible, and engaging training. Emerging technologies are innovative approaches that provide an accessible, intensive, and feedback-oriented plan to enhance effectiveness. This chapter explains the recovery mechanism of neurological disorders, highlighting the key features of motor relearning and neural plasticity. This chapter provides an outline of major emerging technologies, including robotics, virtual and augmented reality, brain–computer interface, wearable sensors, non-invasive brain stimulation, and telerehabilitation platforms. This chapter also evaluates the disease-specific applications of emerging technologies on interventions to enhance functional and motor recovery through patient engagement. Finally, the challenges and future directions of emerging technology have been discussed to develop accessible, personalised, and evidence-based rehabilitation.