In recent years, rapid aging has become an
important problem in many countries. Although one physical therapist (PT) manages one patient in conventional rehabilitation, this
system cannot be used to handle the rapidly increasing number of patients.
Therefore, we proposed a system in which one PT manages many patients using
certain devices, the so-called motivative exercise (Takizawa method). During
the stages of diagnosis and treatment in a general hospital, one doctor
examines a large number of patients, and the hospital gains considerable income
from the patients. However, in the current rehabilitation system, each hospital
gains scanty income from patients, because one PT manages one stroke patient
for a certain length of time. Therefore, in the current system, an economically
disadvantaged hospital cannot hire more PTs. Since one PT manages many patients
in motivative exercise, one PT can gain much higher income for the hospital;
thus, the hospital can hire more PTs. We believe that a small hospital can hire
a few PTs; therefore, motivative exercise would produce jobs for many PTs. We
think that the current rehabilitation system would be rejuvenated by motivative
exercise.
A traditional method for measuring rehabilitative
efficacy is the rehabilitation score prepared by a PT; recent methods include brain
function measurement by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and near
infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with computer analysis. Our research laboratory uses
brain function measurement for the evaluation. For measurement of the inner
structure of the brain, fMRI examination is better than NIRS examination
because of its superior resolution. However, fMRI examination cannot be
performed when using some devices, since the patient may not move during
examination and may not use some metal objects near the fMRI scanner.
Therefore, NIRS is a better examination for evaluating the efficacy of rehabilitation.
An NIRS image has lower resolution than that of an fMRI image, and only
near-surface information is obtained through NIRS. We evaluated depth information
of affected area on an NIRS image using approach of inverse problem in
engineering, and measured the rehabilitative efficacy from the viewpoint of
brain function recovery.
We hope that new researchers participate in
our approach of providing important innovations in the field of the
rehabilitation, through a workshop and research exchange in the 12th IBRC.
