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Recent Advances in Motor Rehabilitation in Healthcare: Bridging Neuroscience, Technology,...
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Recent Advances in Motor Rehabilitation in Healthcare: Bridging Neuroscience, Technology, and Clinical Practice

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Chronic Care".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2027 | Viewed by 993

Editor

Dr. Daniela De Bartolo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: perception-action; motor control; motor development; gait analysis; embodiment; motor rehabilitation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Motor rehabilitation is a cornerstone of functional recovery in healthcare systems worldwide, especially for individuals affected by neurological and musculoskeletal disorders such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury. These conditions place a significant burden not only on patients and caregivers but also on healthcare infrastructures and socioeconomic systems. Addressing motor impairments effectively is therefore both a clinical and a public health imperative.

In recent years, advances in neuroscience, digital health, and rehabilitation technology have transformed how motor deficits are assessed, treated, and monitored. Evidence increasingly supports the role of neuroplasticity-driven interventions, personalized motor training, and interdisciplinary approaches that integrate clinical expertise with biomedical innovation. At the same time, the use of robotics, wearable sensors, brain–computer interfaces, tele-rehabilitation platforms, and AI-enhanced assessment tools is reshaping how rehabilitation is delivered, extending care from hospitals into patients’ homes and communities.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which aims to engage a broad healthcare audience, including clinicians, rehabilitation specialists, neuroscientists, healthcare administrators, public health experts, and digital health innovators. By focusing on both scientific rigor and clinical applicability, the Issue seeks to foster cross-disciplinary dialog and support the evolution of motor rehabilitation as an integral part of modern healthcare delivery.

This Special Issue of Healthcare invites original research articles, systematic reviews, and clinical studies that explore novel approaches to motor rehabilitation within real-world healthcare contexts. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Rehabilitation tools and protocol designed to foster neuroplasticity and their clinical translation in motor rehabilitation;
  • Evidence-based rehabilitation strategies in acute, subacute, and chronic care settings;
  • Robot-assisted therapy and technology-enhanced motor training;
  • Integration of wearable technologies and digital biomarkers into clinical practice;
  • Brain–computer interfaces, rehabilitative devices facilitating cognitive-motor integration;
  • Telemedicine and remote rehabilitation in home-based healthcare models;
  • Outcome measures, patient-reported outcomes, and healthcare utilization metrics;
  • Policy, accessibility, and equity in the provision of motor rehabilitation services.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Daniela De Bartolo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • motor rehabilitation
  • robotics in rehabilitation
  • wearable sensors
  • digital health
  • rehabilitation technology
  • AI-enhanced assessment tools
  • tele-rehabilitation

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 708 KB  
Article
Effects of Non-Suspended Robot-Assisted Ambulatory Training on Stroke Patients
by Wen-Fang Lei and Shin-Da Lee
Healthcare 2026, 14(13), 1990; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14131990 - 3 Jul 2026
Viewed by 249
Abstract
Background: The study aimed to investigate the effects of non-suspended robot-assisted ambulatory training with approximately 80–100% weight-bearing during the stance phase on one leg and 0% weight-bearing support during the swing phase on the other leg on hemiplegic stroke patients who were unable [...] Read more.
Background: The study aimed to investigate the effects of non-suspended robot-assisted ambulatory training with approximately 80–100% weight-bearing during the stance phase on one leg and 0% weight-bearing support during the swing phase on the other leg on hemiplegic stroke patients who were unable to ambulate at baseline. Traditional robot-assisted gait training commonly provided substantial body-weight support (approximately 0–20% weight-bearing during the stance phase on one leg), whereas the present system enables near-normal weight-bearing during gait training. Methods: Pre- and post-assessments of Brunnstrom stage, standing balance, and the Barthel Index of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) were performed in sixty hemiplegic stroke patients (30 right-sided and 30 left-sided hemiplegia) with stroke onset less than 6 months and without ambulatory ability. A retrospective controlled study was performed using a non-suspended robot-assisted ambulatory training machine (RAATM) that provides approximately 80–100% weight-bearing during the stance phase on one leg for more than 150 min a month (>4500 guided steps), combined with a 4-week conventional rehabilitation program (RAATM group, n = 30). Outcomes were compared with those of an age-, affected side-, and baseline walking-ability-matched control group (control group, n = 30) that received only a 4-week conventional rehabilitation program. Results: The average accumulated intervention duration in the RAATM group was 246 ± 74 min, which received intervention of RAATM with 80–100% weight-bearing during the stance phase on one leg and 0% weight-bearing during the swing phase on the other leg. The pre-to-post changes in the Brunnstrom stage of the lower extremities, static standing balance score, dynamic standing balance score, mobility on level surfaces, stairs, and total Barthel Index score were significantly higher in the RAATM group than in the control group. Conclusions: Functions of lower extremities, standing balance, and mobility ability can be improved after intervention of non-suspended RAATM within a month. Non-suspended robot-assisted ambulatory training appeared to be an effective therapeutic approach for hemiplegic stroke patients pre-assessed without ambulatory ability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Motor Rehabilitation in Healthcare: Bridging Neuroscience, Technology, and Clinical Practice)
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17 pages, 1099 KB  
Article
Effects of Vibro-Stimulation Ankle Bracing on Tactile Sensation and Center of Pressure Dynamics in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability: A Randomized Clinical Trial
by Hanieh Khaliliyan, Mahmood Bahramizadeh, Amirhossein Zare, Majid Ansari, Farhad Ghaffari, Arash Sharafatvaziri, Hicham Khabbache, Francesco Chirico, Diego Burzomati, Aldo Sitibondo and Amelia Rizzo
Healthcare 2026, 14(11), 1518; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14111518 - 29 May 2026
Viewed by 319
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is a common sequela of lateral ankle sprain and is characterized by recurrent episodes of giving way, sensorimotor deficits, impaired postural control, and diminished functional performance. While exercise-based rehabilitation, including neuromuscular training and proprioceptive exercises, remains the gold [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is a common sequela of lateral ankle sprain and is characterized by recurrent episodes of giving way, sensorimotor deficits, impaired postural control, and diminished functional performance. While exercise-based rehabilitation, including neuromuscular training and proprioceptive exercises, remains the gold standard for managing CAI, patients often require additional support during daily activities. Orthotic interventions predominantly address mechanical instability, yet there is a clinical gap in providing integrated solutions that simultaneously offer mechanical support and sensory feedback to enhance postural control. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a semi-rigid ankle brace combined with vibro-stimulation on tactile sensation and center of pressure excursion in individuals with CAI. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was designed with two parallel groups and repeated measurements over time. Thirty adults (n = 15 per group) aged 18–35 years, who met the International Ankle Consortium criteria for CAI, were recruited. Participants in the experimental group received a semi-rigid ankle brace integrated with a wearable vibro-stimulation system, whereas those in the comparison group used the ankle brace alone. Outcome measures were collected at baseline, after 10 min, and after 2 and 4 weeks. Primary outcomes included Vibration Detection Rate and phase plane portraits assessed using a 128 Hz tuning fork and a force plate. Results: The ankle bracing plus vibration band group demonstrated significantly greater improvement at 4 weeks than the orthosis group in Vibration Detection Rate (F (3,26) = 31.93, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.78). Also, the largest effect was observed for the anteroposterior phase plane portrait at 4 weeks (MD = −2.10 ± 0.42, 95% CI: −2.96 to −1.23, p < 0.001, d = −1.79). Conclusions: The findings suggest that combining a semi-rigid ankle bracing with vibro-stimulation provides additional benefits over the use of bracing alone in individuals with CAI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Motor Rehabilitation in Healthcare: Bridging Neuroscience, Technology, and Clinical Practice)
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