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About

Sofie Notelaers is a researcher dedicated to advancing robot-assisted rehabilitation for individuals with central nervous system deficits, particularly Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and stroke patients. Her work centers on developing personalized training approaches that enhance upper limb function and daily living activities. Notelaers’ major contributions include a pioneering procedure for individually determining gravity compensation (GC) of the arm, which facilitates arm movements in robot-assisted training for MS patients with arm paresis—a concept previously demonstrated in stroke but newly applied to MS. Her most-cited paper (14 citations) details this method, showing positive effects on Range of Motion (ROM). She also developed engaging, task-oriented therapies like "Watering the flowers" (10 citations), which targets essential forearm rotations (pro- and supination) for daily tasks, and contributed to the I-TRAVLE project, emphasizing individualized training. Additionally, her work on improved haptic linear lines (2 citations) enhances movement accuracy through tailored force feedback. Notelaers’ research bridges engineering and clinical rehabilitation, offering practical, patient-centered solutions that empower recovery and improve quality of life for neurologically impaired individuals.