ASPICE – ASSISTIVE SYSTEM FOR PATIENTS INCREASE OF COMMUNICATION, AMBIENT CONTROL AND MOBILITY IN ABSENCE OF MUSCULAR EFFORT

In the field of rehabilitation, the main goal is the reduction of the disability provoked by any pathological condition that is the achievement of the maximum independence for a given clinical frame. Recently, the growing evidence for the development of electronic devices capable of ameliorating the possibility to increase the communication and the management of the house-environment has opened new avenues for patients affected by severe movement disorders with preserved cognitive functions. These devices still suffer from limitations due to the necessity of a residual motor ability which might prevent some pathological condition from their use. In this frame, it could appear of remarkable importance the refining of the conventional devices to address their use towards patients affected by severe neuromuscular degenerative disorders, characterized by the progressive loss of limb muscular activity in presence of intact cognitive performance, as in the case of SMA type II, DMD, ALS. This is particularly true, if one considers that life expectancy is improved by the intervention like tracheotomy, despite of the deterioration of quality of life due to a total dependence from caregivers, with loss of any privacy in day-life activity. The implementation and the following dissemination of new intended devices would endowed disabled persons as differently abled. Fill-in this gap will also provide a relevant reduction in the long term cost related to the technical assistance and long hospitalization; along with these goals, the relief from the time demand of the caregivers would be achieved. These aims will be realized in a communication-control integrated system (ASPICE), customized on the severely motor impaired patients residual abilities, based on the Brain-Computer Interface technology, controllers of intelligent motion devices (Robotics) and information transmission and domotics (Ambient Intelligence).