Sensory loss of the hand (including impaired proprioception, stereognosis, and tactile sensation) is common after peripheral nerve damage, stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis (MS), and other neurological conditions. While sensory retraining therapy has shown some benefits, there is no established method to restore tactile sensation following stroke. Recent studies indicate that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with motor rehabilitation can enhance neural plasticity in patients – significantly improving their motor recovery. Recognizing the need for effective tactile retraining therapy, researchers have created a mobile system that establishes the first working model towards enhancing sensory recovery.
The University of Texas at Dallas presents a system for tactile training in patients with severe sensory impairment after nerve damage - which may be paired with VNS (in clinical settings) - for enhanced recovery of sensory function. The system integrates hardware and software to provide a reliable, quantitative system to provide challenging tactile tasks and monitor progress without the need for a therapist. The system may be used for training either in clinical or at-home settings – the software guides the user through training and/or provides patient progress to remote medical providers for monitoring.