Physical medicine and rehabilitation
Related papers: 20
About
Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) is an interdisciplinary medical and engineering field focused on restoring function, reducing disability, and improving quality of life for individuals with neurological, musculoskeletal, or movement-related impairments. In robotics and AI, PM&R drives the development and clinical application of technologies such as robotic exoskeletons, neuroprosthetics, brain-computer interfaces, and assistive devices that augment or restore lost motor function. These systems leverage neural signal decoding, electromyography, biomechanical modeling, and adaptive control strategies to deliver targeted, repeatable therapy or enable direct motor control in patients with conditions like stroke, spinal cord injury, or amputation. Robot-assisted rehabilitation platforms, for example, provide high-intensity, quantifiable movement training that complements traditional therapy, while closed-loop neuroprosthetics can bypass damaged neural pathways entirely. PM&R matters because it bridges clinical neuroscience with engineering innovation, offering evidence-based pathways to functional recovery and independence. As global populations age and neurological injury rates rise, PM&R-informed robotics represents a critical frontier for scalable, personalized rehabilitation and long-term assistive care.
Top Researchers
Top Cited Papers
Neuronal ensemble control of prosthetic devices by a human with tetraplegia
Leigh R. Hochberg, Mijail D. Serruya, Gerhard M. Friehs, Jon Mukand, Maryam Saleh, Abraham H. Caplan, Almut Branner, David Chen, Richard D. Penn, John P. Donoghue
Citations: 3324 • 2006
Reach and grasp by people with tetraplegia using a neurally controlled robotic arm
Leigh R. Hochberg, Daniel Bacher, Beata Jarosiewicz, Nicolas Y. Masse, John D. Simeral, Jörn Vogel, Sami Haddadin, Jie Liu, Sydney S. Cash, Patrick van der Smagt, John P. Donoghue
Citations: 2730 • 2012
Stroke rehabilitation
Peter Langhorne, Julie Bernhardt, Gert Kwakkel
Citations: 2587 • 2011
Motor recovery after stroke: a systematic review
Peter Langhorne, Fiona Coupar, Alex Pollock
Citations: 2294 • 2009
Control of a two-dimensional movement signal by a noninvasive brain-computer interface in humans
Jonathan R. Wolpaw, Dennis J. McFarland
Citations: 1516 • 2004
Effects of Robot-Assisted Therapy on Upper Limb Recovery After Stroke: A Systematic Review
Gert Kwakkel, Boudewijn J. Kollen, Hermano Igo Krebs
Citations: 1491 • 2007
Safety and recommendations for TMS use in healthy subjects and patient populations, with updates on training, ethical and regulatory issues: Expert Guidelines
Símone Rossi, Andrea Antal, Sven Bestmann, Marom Bikson, Carmen C. Brewer, Jürgen Brockmöller, Linda L. Carpenter, M. Cincotta, Robert Chen, Jeff Daskalakis, Vincenzo Di Lazzaro, Michael Fox, Mark S. George, Donald L. Gilbert, Vasilios Κ. Kimiskidis, Giacomo Koch, Risto J. Ilmoniemi, Jean Pascal Lefaucheur, Letizia Leocani, Sarah H. Lisanby, Carlo Miniussi, Frank Padberg, Álvaro Pascual‐Leone, Walter Paulus, Angel V. Peterchev, Angelo Quartarone, Alexander Rotenberg, John C. Rothwell, Paolo Maria Rossini, Emiliano Santarnecchi, Mouhsin M. Shafi, Hartwig R. Siebner, Yoshikatzu Ugawa, Eric M. Wassermann, Abraham Zangen, Ulf Ziemann, Mark Hallett
Citations: 1471 • 2020
Robot-aided neurorehabilitation
Hermano Igo Krebs, Neville Hogan, Mindy Aisen, Bruce T. Volpe
Citations: 1427 • 1998
Robot-Assisted Therapy for Long-Term Upper-Limb Impairment after Stroke
Albert Lo, Peter Guarino, Lorie Richards, Jodie K. Haselkorn, George F. Wittenberg, Daniel G. Federman, Robert Ringer, Todd H. Wagner, Hermano Igo Krebs, Bruce T. Volpe, Christopher T. Bever, Dawn M. Bravata, Pamela W. Duncan, Barbara H. Corn, Alysia D. Maffucci, Stephen E. Nadeau, Susan S. Conroy, Janet M. Powell, Grant D. Huang, Peter Peduzzi
Citations: 1409 • 2010
OpenSim: Simulating musculoskeletal dynamics and neuromuscular control to study human and animal movement
Ajay Seth, Jennifer L. Hicks, Thomas K. Uchida, Ayman Habib, Christopher L. Dembia, James J. Dunne, Carmichael Ong, Matthew S. DeMers, Apoorva Rajagopal, Matthew Millard, Samuel R. Hamner, Edith M. Arnold, Jennifer R. Yong, Shrinidhi Kowshika Lakshmikanth, Michael Sherman, Joy P. Ku, Scott L. Delp
Citations: 1326 • 2018
Design and Evaluation of the LOPES Exoskeleton Robot for Interactive Gait Rehabilitation
Jan F. Veneman, R. Kruidhof, Edsko E.G. Hekman, R. Ekkelenkamp, Edwin van Asseldonk, Herman van der Kooij
Citations: 1266 • 2007
Motor learning: its relevance to stroke recovery and neurorehabilitation
John W. Krakauer
Citations: 1263 • 2006
From Swimming to Walking with a Salamander Robot Driven by a Spinal Cord Model
Auke Jan Ijspeert, Alessandro Crespi, Dimitri Ryczko, Jean‐Marie Cabelguen
Citations: 1195 • 2007
A survey on robotic devices for upper limb rehabilitation
Paweł Maciejasz, Jörg Eschweiler, Kurt Gerlach-Hahn, Arne Jansen-Troy, Steffen Leonhardt
Citations: 1178 • 2014
The neural and behavioural organization of goal-directed movements
Marc Jeannerod
Citations: 1175 • 1988
Robot-assisted movement training compared with conventional therapy techniques for the rehabilitation of upper-limb motor function after stroke
Peter S. Lum, Charles G. Burgar, P. Shor, Matra Majmundar, H. F. Machiel Van der Loos
Citations: 1158 • 2002
Review of control strategies for robotic movement training after neurologic injury
Laura Marchal–Crespo, David J. Reinkensmeyer
Citations: 1148 • 2009
Treadmill training of paraplegic patients using a robotic orthosis.
Giorgio Colombo, M Joerg, Reinhard Schreier, V Dietz
Citations: 1117 • 2001
Feedback Control of Dynamic Bipedal Robot Locomotion
E. R. Westervelt, Jessy W. Grizzle, Christine Chevallereau, Jun Ho Choi, Benjamin Morris
Citations: 1093 • 2010
Control strategies for active lower extremity prosthetics and orthotics: a review
Michael R. Tucker, Jérémy Olivier, Anna Pagel, Hannes Bleuler, Mohamed Bouri, Olivier Lambercy, José del R. Millán, Robert Riener, Heike Vallery, Roger Gassert
Citations: 1053 • 2015