North American Neurorehabilitation Symposium in Atlanta presented newest developments and achievements in neurological rehabilitation.

Eminent experts from the field of neurological rehabilitation came together at the North American Neurorehabilitation Symposium (NANRS) 2010 from August 27 to 28, 2010 to discuss new technologies, the application of virtual environments and research in spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy and other neurological pathologies. More than 20 international speakers and nearly 180 participants agreed on the important role of robotics in neurorehabilitation. Furthermore, Hocoma’s latest robotic gait device, the Lokomat®Nanos, made its North American debut at the NANRS 2010.

Organized by Shepherd Center and the Swiss medical technology pioneer Hocoma the North American Neurorehabilitation Symposium 2010 brought together scientists from highly-recognized institutions worldwide and clinical users of innovative therapeutic methods and technologies. The participants compared notes on successful developments with 23 international speakers, including renowned researchers from the USA, Mexico, Switzerland and Canada and gained a better understanding of motor learning and neural plasticity. Furthermore, the participants had the opportunity to visit with leading companies and manufacturers in the neurorehabilitation industry, hear presentations, see medical technology demonstrations, and attend hands-on workshops and roundtable discussions. “We believe this conference provided a productive platform to discuss trends in neurorehabilitation, to exchange ideas, and to gain knowledge in the assessment and use of new technologies and therapy concepts,” says conference co-organizer Stefan Bircher, Ph.D., executive vice president of Hocoma. Despite the tremendous evolvement over the past years, the NANRS participants agreed on the still high potential of robotics in rehabilitation and the necessity of further research in the field.

North American premiere for new generation of Lokomat system
“The integration of robotics and rehabilitation has especially opened new possibilities for understanding and treating people with neurological deficits,” explains conference co-organizer Keith Tansey, M.D., Ph.D., director of spinal cord injury research at Shepherd. Besides offering the opportunity of getting hands-on experience and training using Lokomat®, Armeo® and Erigo® systems, Hocoma’s latest robotic locomotion device, the LokomatNanos was unveiled for the first time in the USA. The Lokomat assists walking movements of gait-impaired patients and is used to improve mobility in individuals following stroke, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis as well as neurological diseases and injuries. Providing all essential features to carry out clinical gait training and to improve over-ground walking, the LokomatNanos is adapted to reduced space conditions. With this new Lokomat generation a broad group of rehabilitation centers can benefit from robotic gait training.

The NANRS organization team would like to thank all speakers, participants, sponsors and everyone else who has helped to make the North American Neurorehabilitation Symposium 2010 a great success.