Dynamic Neural Arts

About

Dynamic Neural Arts utilises innovative technologies to design and commercialise scientifically validated products that improve neural performance.

Dynamic Neural Arts is an organisation that brings together leading designers, software engineers, scientists and medical technology commercialisation experts. The collaborative effort has created an integrated software and hardware technology system for the global rehabilitation market. The team of researchers has worked together for over 10 years to develop the interactive digital media solutions for movement rehabilitation.

The multidisciplinary team combines expertise in digital design, games, computer science (RMIT), psychology (ACU), and neuropsychology (Griffith). Completed clinical studies in Australia and Europe have demonstrated the efficacy of the product in adults and children with a BI. Further clinical trials are ongoing.

Products

EDNA is the world’s first upper-limb brain injury rehabilitation system to integrate clinic and home therapy.

Elements by Dynamic Neural Arts (EDNA) is an interactive therapy system for rehabilitation of patients with an acquired brain injury, typically from stroke or trauma. EDNA includes a range of engaging and intuitive game-like software tasks, tangible and graspable tools, and augmented feedback to enhance patient’s motor function and cognitive skills. These repetitive exercises have been shown to promote neuronal plasticity to regain lost brain function.

EDNA therapy can be performed in the clinic or hospital on EDNA-55, a height adjustable and interactive touchscreen table that facilitates therapist lead rehabilitation. EDNA-22 is a portable interactive touchscreen device that allows patients to continue rehabilitation therapy in the home following cloud based delivery of a tailored program.

+ Home & Clinic Integration

+ Stroke & Brain Injury

STROKE

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability, with 65% of the nearly four million people in the United States who have survived a stroke living with minor to severe impairments. Impairments such as muscle weakness, loss of range of motion, and impaired force generation create deficits in motor control that affect the stroke survivor’s capacity for independent living and economic self-sufficiency.

Many traditional therapeutic interventions have been used in rehabilitation to promote functional recovery, with outcome studies yielding inconsistent results. Recent evidence has demonstrated that intensive massed and repeated practice may be necessary to modify neural organisation and effect recovery of functional motor skills.

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) contributes to 30% of all injury-related deaths and 15% of all hospitalisations in the USA. Although physical limitations are common following moderate–severe TBI, they have been under-studied relative to cognitive and psychosocial domains. Individuals with TBI commonly experience impaired upper-limb function, including poor timing and accuracy of reaching and reduced ability to grasp and lift objects. Impaired motor planning is also common due to damage to brain structures and networks (including premotor cortex, parietal cortex, basal ganglia and cerebellum) that are responsible for forming and implementing motor intentions.

VR may provide an effective means for assessing motor control and skill and for designing and implementing rehabilitation activities. In addition, interactive and immersive software solutions can engage and motivate individuals with TBI, automate data collection and provide greater control over task constraints. The benefits of VR training after brain injury have been widely claimed, although most data are drawn from stroke patients and studies on TBI have generally been exploratory.