Tablet-Based Mental Exercises and Neuro-Rehabilitation

context

The HUG Neurology Division developed applications to help with two very different pathologies: ALS, a degenerative disease that affects motor neurons, and CVA. The goal in the case of ALS is to encourage training connections in the brain by means of suitable simple exercises, because patients lose not only mobility but also speech and the ability to communicate, which quickly leads to social isolation. It has been shown that regular exercise of the brain can slow the progression of the disease, specifically regarding loss of language.
As for CVA, the HUG has a therapeutic teaching program for the 800 to 1,000 people each year who have a stroke in the canton of Geneva. After a CVA, the risk of recurrence is 12 to 40% over the first five years, with the maximum risk occurring in the initial days after the event. The program provides interaction between patients and support staff, which can help prevent recurrence and ensure the right actions are taken at the right time to limit the consequences of a stroke.

Project

The project consists of providing ALS patients and “post CVA” patients with interactive tablets loaded with all of the HUG applications that support treatment of these two pathologies: on one hand to slow the progression of the disease, especially loss of language, and on the other hand to lessen the risks of recurrence.

project manager

Mr. Fabien Albert, Team Manager, Neuro-Rehabilitation Division, Clinical Neuroscience Department, Geneva University Hospitals