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The project entitled “Establishment of a Neurorehabilitation and Human-Machine Relationship Research Center at the University of Pécs” (UP) was implemented with a non-refundable EU grant of HUF 650 million provided in the frame of the Széchenyi 2020 Economic Development and Innovation Operational Program. Working with the University of Debrecen (DE) and the National Institute of Medical Rehabilitation (OORI), under the coordination of UP, a health research development and service center meeting international standards was established in the field of rehabilitation, including neurorehabilitation.

The project aimed to provide research and development and innovation (RDI) for clinical rehabilitation work in several organizations and research areas, which can have long-term benefits in both patient care and undergraduate education.

“Disability and invalidity resulting from damage to the nervous system are the biggest health economics burdens on society and the families affected; therefore, it is vital to treat these patients as effectively and quickly as possible. The project that has just been completed could represent a significant step forward in this,” said Professor Tamás Dóczi, Széchenyi Prize-winning professor at the University of Pécs, professional leader of the project, at the closing event of the project.

A Biomechanical Laboratory has been established at the University of Pécs with the help of the tender, in which the research results can be accurately monitored, and the precision of patient examination can be increased with a complex motion analysis system. With the help of robotic devices (exoskeleton) procured from the tender in the laboratory, it is possible to rehabilitate and move people paralyzed due to stroke, which is an outstanding technology and research area globally. Thanks to the support, the first Hungarian clinical trial of a robotic walking device to help people paralyzed due to spinal cord injury has begun in the frame of joint research with the National Institute of Medical Rehabilitation (National Locomotor System Institute since 1 April 2021).

The Materials Technology Research Group has been established as part of the project, participating in several interdisciplinary RDI projects. One of the main research areas of the research group is the study of the mechanical and structural properties of polymers and metals that can be used in 3D printing, the results of which are directly used in medical technology developments. Among the product developments based on these, the ones that should be highlighted are the intelligent EMG-controlled upper-limb prosthesis, “Ember Arm,” created within the framework of a university spin-off company and made with additive manufacturing technology, and Phoenix Smart Orthesis, which can help the rehabilitation processes of stroke clients in the future.

A 256-channel EEG device was also procured from the source of the tender, which is essential in new technology, in the care of epileptic patients who cannot be treated seizure-free with drugs. The essence of this is that by using electrodes placed inside the cranial cavity, the focus that triggers the epileptic seizure can be identified even in patients in whom the cranial MRI does not show structural abnormality.

“EEG monitoring takes place over several days, and with the help of the collected data, the epileptic focus can be accurately determined, which, if surgically removed, will give the patient a good chance of becoming seizure-free. The method has recently been incorporated into the Hungarian health insurance system by the National Health Insurance Fund of Hungary (NEAK), so the interventions are now NEAK-funded”

- said Tamás Dóczi about the new technology.

Thanks to the partial support of the tender, a nationally unique magnetic stimulation system (Nexstim) navigated by imaging (MRI) has been installed, which non-invasively helps map brain functions, enabling the performance of high-precision brain surgeries, significantly improving surgical safety. The method also provides an opportunity to treat depressive conditions that cannot be controlled by drugs.

In cooperation with UP, the partner in the tender is the National Locomotor System Institute (formerly the National Institute of Medical Rehabilitation), where the support was used to develop further the Institute’s own physiotherapy robot for stroke patients developed in the frame of the frame REHAROB project. The procured equipment also contributed to the expansion of the Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Program, which can stimulate with a useful function the paralyzed lower limb muscle of people with spinal cord injuries (e.g., tricycle riding and racing).

The University of Debrecen participated in the tender as a consortium partner where the funding helped expand the current rehabilitation equipment with a gait analysis and muscle strength measuring system and a 3D printer and the commissioning of a full-body scanner, thus significantly expanding previous rehabilitation assessment opportunities. With the help of modern equipment, a high level of health check can be performed in the case of people undergoing treatment for scoliosis, paralysis, limb injury, or hip prosthesis.

Overall, it can be said that the equipment procured in the frame of the tender creates an opportunity to improve the quality of life and rehabilitation of people involved in neurorehabilitation and to provide high-quality care for them.

Source:

PTE

Photos:

Szabolcs Csortos/UnivPécs