Juha M. Hijmans

About

Juha M. Hijmans is a leading researcher in neurorehabilitation and assistive technology, with a primary focus on restoring upper limb function after stroke. His major contributions center on developing and validating innovative, home-based rehabilitation solutions that bridge the gap between clinical therapy and independent living. Hijmans is best known for spearheading the HoMEcare aRm rehabiLItatioN (MERLIN) project, a telerehabilitation system that combines an unactuated robotic device with serious games to enable cost-effective, engaging therapy at home. His landmark 2021 study on MERLIN (61 citations) demonstrated significant improvements in chronic stroke patients’ upper limb function, while his systematic review and meta-analysis (42 citations) provided critical evidence for the effectiveness of task-specific training with assistive devices. Hijmans has also explored the long-term sustainability of such interventions, with preliminary evidence (20 citations) suggesting lasting benefits. By proving that unactuated, game-based telerehabilitation can match or exceed traditional care, his work has paved the way for accessible, scalable stroke recovery programs, directly impacting clinical practice and patient quality of life.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   HoMEcare aRm rehabiLItatioN (MERLIN): telerehabilitation using an unactuated device based on serious games improves the upper limb function in chronic stroke

   61 citations · 2021
2. 2
   Effectiveness of task-specific training using assistive devices and task-specific usual care on upper limb performance after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis

   42 citations · 2021
3. 3
   HoMEcare aRm rehabiLItatioN (MERLIN): preliminary evidence of long term effects of telerehabilitation using an unactuated training device on upper limb function after stroke

   20 citations · 2021

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links