Helping brain recovery for people with severe paralysis after a recent stroke
Official title: Facilitating neuroplastic changes of acute stroke survivors with severe hemiplegia
Funded at Rehabtek, LLC · NIH-11365604 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds a wearable in-bed robot to give gentle movement and sensory training to adults with severe weakness right after a stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rehabtek, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Linthicum Heights, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,280,063 |
| NIH project number | 4U44NS125158-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11365604 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) with a recent acute stroke who have severe hemiplegia and little or no voluntary movement (MMT=0) and who are medically stable in the hospital.
✕Less likely to help
People with chronic stroke long after the acute window, those with only mild weakness, or those not in an inpatient setting are unlikely to benefit from this in-bed approach.
What this research studies
You would wear a small robotic device while still in bed in the hospital that moves and stimulates your arm and leg to mimic normal motion and touch. The device is designed to detect tiny signals even when there is no visible muscle movement (MMT=0) so it can deliver early, frequent training during the brain's critical plasticity window after stroke. The team will develop and test the robot for safety, comfort, and its ability to promote neuroplastic changes, starting with feasibility work and progressing to early patient use. The aim is to provide more active therapy during the long hours patients are often left alone in the acute hospital stay.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the device could help speed recovery of movement and reduce long-term disability by delivering early intensive sensorimotor training.
How similar studies have gone: Robotic and early intensive rehabilitation approaches have improved motor recovery in some stroke studies, but few devices are designed specifically for in‑bed use in patients with no voluntary movement, so this work is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Rehabtek, LLC
Linthicum Heights, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oppizzi, Giovanni — Rehabtek, LLC
- Study coordinator: Oppizzi, Giovanni
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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In-bed wearable rehab robot to help stroke survivors recover movement
A wearable robotic device will be developed to help adults who recently had an acute stroke regain movement while still in the hospital.
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Improving recovery for stroke survivors with severe paralysis
This study is testing a new wearable robot designed to help stroke survivors with severe arm and leg weakness recover better while they are still in bed, by providing important training to improve their movement and brain function early on.
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When people are most at risk of another stroke after a minor stroke or TIA
Researchers are combining past trial data to find the timing of highest risk for a second stroke after a minor stroke or TIA so treatments can be better timed.
-
Spinal cord stimulation to help arm and hand movement after stroke
A new cervical spinal cord stimulation approach is tested to improve arm and hand function in people living with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis.
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Improving Participation after Stroke: Self-Management Rehab for Sub-Acute Stroke
A doctor- and patient-friendly program delivered virtually helps people who recently had a stroke feel more confident, stay active at home, and improve quality of life.
-
Targeting a brain inflammation regulator to protect cells after a stroke
Aims to test a new approach that tampers with a key brain cell regulator to reduce inflammation and protect brain tissue after a stroke, potentially lowering disability.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.