Advancements in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation: Neuromodulation, MRI-Based Neuroimaging and Functional Restoration Devices

A special issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1043

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Raphael Center for Neurorestoration, Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Interests: brain computer interface; neural signal processing; AI; neuromodulation

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Guest Editor
1. Department of Physical Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University Jefferson College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
2. Department of Occupational Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University Jefferson College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Interests: advanced MRI neuroimaging; spinal cord injury; translational research; MRI; rehabilitation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Jefferson Integrated Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center (JIMRC), Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Interests: computational post-processing; diffusion tensor imaging; fMRI; neuroimaging; rehabilitation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will highlight innovative approaches in the field of physical therapy and rehabilitation, with particular focus on neuromodulation, MRI-based neuroimaging, and functional restoration devices, with the overarching aim to enhance motor recovery, neuroplasticity, sensation, and functional outcomes in individuals with neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. By integrating expertise across device development, neuroscience, neuromodulation, and imaging, this Special Issue seeks to foster multidisciplinary solutions that transform rehabilitation science and clinical practice.

We welcome submissions that explore foundational research, novel technologies, and translational studies in areas such as assistive robotics, neuromodulatory interventions, and MRI applications in rehabilitation and recovery.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Robotic systems (e.g., exoskeletons, prosthetics, assistive devices) designed to support physical therapy and functional restoration;
  • Neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying motor learning, adaptation, and neuromodulation;
  • Neuromodulation techniques (e.g., transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, closed-loop systems) to promote neuroplasticity and recovery;
  • AI systems and real-time adaptive feedback for personalized rehabilitation;
  • Applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to the study of brain and spinal cord plasticity, cortical reorganization, and therapy-induced neurophysiological changes;
  • Multimodal imaging approaches (e.g., fMRI, DTI) for evaluating treatment efficacy and guiding intervention strategies.

We invite original research articles and comprehensive reviews that contribute to advancing the science and technology of rehabilitation. By bridging clinical research, neuroengineering, and imaging science, this Special Issue aims to accelerate innovation at the intersection of therapy, neuromodulation, and brain-behavior mapping.

Dr. Alessandro Napoli
Dr. Laura Krisa
Dr. Mahdi Alizadeh
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • neuromodulation
  • neurorestoration
  • advanced rehabilitation
  • functional restoration device

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 1870 KB  
Article
Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation as an Adjuvant for Nonfluent Aphasia: A Proof-of-Concept Study
by Lynsey M. Keator, Lisa Johnson, Roger Newman-Norlund, Kyler Spell, Samaneh Nemati, Leigh Ann Spell, Dirk B. den Ouden, Christopher Rorden and Julius Fridriksson
Bioengineering 2026, 13(3), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13030372 - 23 Mar 2026
Viewed by 653
Abstract
Effective rehabilitation tools are essential for improving language outcomes in chronic aphasia. Speech entrainment is a behavioral treatment that has shown promise in enhancing speech output in nonfluent aphasia, potentially by acting as an external mechanism to synchronize anterior and posterior language regions [...] Read more.
Effective rehabilitation tools are essential for improving language outcomes in chronic aphasia. Speech entrainment is a behavioral treatment that has shown promise in enhancing speech output in nonfluent aphasia, potentially by acting as an external mechanism to synchronize anterior and posterior language regions in the left hemisphere. Transcranial alternating current stimulation has been hypothesized to enhance functional connectivity between brain regions by amplifying endogenous oscillations. This proof-of-concept study explored whether high-definition tACS (HD-tACS) could improve speech fluency in nonfluent aphasia when paired with speech entrainment. In a double-blind, pseudorandomized study, 1 mA of HD-tACS at 7 Hz was applied to anterior and posterior left-hemisphere regions of individuals with nonfluent aphasia (N = 13). Stimulation was applied under three conditions: in-phase, anti-phase, and sham, and paired speech entrainment. Three outcome measures were examined: (1) number of words produced; (2) number of errors, and (3) ‘entrainment’ to the speech entrainment model. Group-level analyses for two of the three outcome measures reveal statistically significant differences between the experimental conditions. In-phase alternating current stimulation yielded more words and better entrainment to the audiovisual model than the sham condition. This study provides promising evidence that HD-tACS could improve speech production in individuals with nonfluent aphasia. These results contribute to growing evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of non-invasive brain stimulation approaches as an adjuvant to traditional behavioral speech-language therapy in stroke survivors. Full article
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