A COMPUTERIZED DEVICE FOR IMPROVING MOTOR CONTROL IN AN INDIVIDUAL BY SENSORY TRAINING

摘要

A method and apparatus for implementing a training regimen which addressesmotor control problems accompanied by sensory degradation. Accordingly, thetraining regimen is applicable to motor control disorders associated with avariety of different causes, including traumatic injury, disease, aging andgradual "occupational" type injury. For example, in an individual sufferingfrom repetitive strain injury (RSI), the disabling motor control problems areoften accompanied by sensory problems. These sensory problems appear to becaused over time by harmful attended rapid repetitive movements resulting inundesirable changes in the somatosensory, proprioceptive and/or kinestheticability of the affected regions of the individual. The present inventionhypothesizes that repetitive delivery of simultaneous or nearly simultaneousafferent sensory inputs, under attended conditions of high cognitive drive,results in a learning-induced integration of the representation of theindividuality of otherwise differentiable parts of the subjects therebydegrading the sensory feedback loop necessary for normal motor control. Whatstarted out as a degradation of the sensory feedback capability, essential forproper motor control, eventually manifests over time as a motor controlproblem. Thus, motor control problems which are accompanied by sensorydegradation can be alleviated by a regimen of remedial re-differentiatingsensory training of the affected regions of the individual. Accordingly, thetraining regimen differentially stimulates two locations within the afflictedportion of the individual. Feedback from the individual indicates the degreeof difficulty the individual has in sensing differentially between the twolocations. The stimulation is then adapted to the individual based on thefeedback. Adaptation includes increasing the distance between the twolocations and/or changing the spectral or temporal characteristics of thestimuli.