To assist hemiplegic patients with the activities of daily life, many upper limb soft exoskeletons have been developed. In this paper, we propose the structure of upper limb soft exoskeleton for rehabilitation training based on human biomechanics. The soft driving structure based on Bowden cable is devised. Man-machine interaction force must be considered because it can damage on the joint and lead to arm discomfort. We focus on structural optimization to minimize man-machine interaction force. Human arm model is established to perform motion simulation in ADAMS. To summarize optimality conditions, the movements of elbow are simulated in ADAMS when the number and location of force bearing points are changed. This paper describes the movement of the shoulder skeletal system through a mathematical model based on the Bowden cable transmission and utilizes man-machine contact force sensor to detect human interaction forces for analysis of experimental data. The experimental results show that man-machine interaction force can be reduced when the number of bearing force points is increased and bearing force point is away from the elbow.

BackgroundThe prevalence of pediatric ischemic stroke rose by 35% between 1990 and 2013. Affected patients can experience the gradual onset of cognitive impairment in the form of impaired language, memory, intelligence, attention, and processing speed, which affect 20–50% of these patients. Only few evidence-based treatments are available due to significant heterogeneity in age, pathological characteristics, and the combined epilepsy status of the affected children.MethodsWe searched the literature published by Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed, which researched non-pharmacological rehabilitation interventions for cognitive impairment following pediatric ischemic stroke. The search period is from the establishment of the database to January 2022.ResultsThe incidence of such impairment is influenced by patient age, pathological characteristics, combined epilepsy status, and environmental factors. Non-pharmacological treatments for cognitive impairment that have been explored to date mainly include exercise training, psychological intervention, neuromodulation strategies, computer-assisted cognitive training, brain-computer interfaces (BCI), virtual reality, music therapy, and acupuncture. In childhood stroke, the only interventions that can be retrieved are psychological intervention and neuromodulation strategies.ConclusionHowever, evidence regarding the efficacy of these interventions is relatively weak. In future studies, the active application of a variety of interventions to improve pediatric cognitive function will be necessary, and neuroimaging and electrophysiological measurement techniques will be of great value in this context. Larger multi-center prospective longitudinal studies are also required to offer more accurate evidence-based guidance for the treatment of patients with pediatric stroke.

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