Made-in-Alberta ‘joystick’ helps patients regain hand skills

EDMONTON — A made-in-Alberta therapy tool at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital is helping accident, stroke, brain and spinal-cord injury patients to regain hand, arm and shoulder function.

ReJoyce (Rehabilitation Joystick for Computerized Exercise) is a high-tech, spring-loaded arm with special handles and attachments that the patient moves, twists and squeezes to play customized video games that adapt themselves to the user’s abilities, combining range of motion with finer dexterity tasks. The technology resembles a smaller version of the Canadarm used by the U.S. space shuttle program.

“ReJoyce benefits people who have what we call decreased anti-gravity strength — the ability to lift your arm in space away from your body against the force of gravity,” says Quentin Ranson, Rehabilitation Technology Leader at the Alberta Health Services (AHS) facility. “It also helps people with weak grip strength, weak pinch strength and limited finger control who need help to address issues of physical weakness and co-ordination.”

The ReJoyce workstation also provides analysis after each session that helps therapists and patients to precisely measure and track progress. This information can also be used to develop strategies that help patients compensate for their impairments.

The $8,000 device was invented by two University of Alberta biomedical engineers — Dr. Arthur Prochazka, a physiology professor in the Centre for Neuroscience in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, and Jan Kowalczewski, now a Postdoctoral Fellow in Physiology — with funding support from Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions. ReJoyce is located in the Building Trades of Alberta Courage Centre at the Glenrose, which pioneered its clinical use in Canada during almost a decade of development.

Steve Rodden of Edmonton is using ReJoyce to help improve his eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills as he works to recover from a stroke.

“I’ve made a lot of strides since my stroke,” says the 52-year-old machinist. “It’s great. It’s helping me to make my hand-eye movements stable and more accurate. And the people at the Glenrose are very caring about what I’m doing and how I’m doing. I expect a full recovery soon.

“The technology is awesome. In one game, I shoot at moving targets that get faster and faster, to shorten my reaction time. For me, what’s most fun is the bartender game where I have to pour drinks and fill glasses as fast and as accurately as I can from specific bottles.”

Kowalczewski says ReJoyce’s games get patients to make repetitive movements that mimic the motions required for many daily activities.

“It tricks the brain to push you harder and harder — so that you maximize brain plasticity and force the person to improve on things that they can actually benefit from,” he says. “For lower-functioning patients, we have side handles for pushing, pulling and training the shoulder to prepare for more advanced games that range from flying a biplane to gardening.”

Every month, between eight to 12 patients train twice weekly on ReJoyce at the Glenrose.

“During the device’s development, its creators did test runs with stroke patients here for almost five years during pilot studies with earlier versions of ReJoyce,” says Ranson. “Here at the Glenrose, we’ve enjoyed a long-term partnership with them. I think it’s a point of pride and a priority for the entire Building Trades of Alberta Courage Centre to work with local industry to try to develop new technology.”

The Building Trades of Alberta Courage Centre is a hub for state-of-the-art rehabilitation equipment and technology, funded through the Building Trades of Alberta Charitable Foundation, as well as corporate and private donations to the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation.

“The Building Trades of Alberta and our 75,000 skilled trades people gave significantly to help build the Courage Centre, knowing it’s truly a legacy that will continue to inspire advancements in rehabilitative care,” says James Gibbins, President of the Building Trades of Alberta Charitable Foundation. “ReJoyce adds to these essential services, which improve and enhance the lives of Albertans in need.”

“We believe that bringing these technologies truly signifies the Glenrose’s status as a world leader in rehabilitation,” says John Chomiak, Chairperson of the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation. “Most importantly, the potential for the technologies to propel research, and to ultimately support improved outcomes in our patients’ journeys, is simply what they deserve.”

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than 3.7 million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

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