Systems, apparatuses, devices, and processes for synergistic neuro-physiological rehabilitation and/or functional development

Abstract

In an embodiment a system for facilitating a subject's functional development includes sensing devices configured for sensing mind state signals; sensing devices configured for sensing body state signals; and a set of processing resources configured for generating a mind state indicator/measure, a body state indicator/measure, and a mind-body synergy indicator/measure that corresponds to an expected extent to which each of the subject's mind state and the subject's body state are cooperatively or synergistically aligned with respect to facilitating the subject's functional development. In an embodiment, the system can be configured for concurrently presenting a set of activities involving a model body part; engaging the subject in attempted imitation of the set of activities by way of attempted movement of a subject body part that is a mirror image of the model body part; presenting an indication of an expected extent to which each of the subject's mind state and body state are cooperative with respect to subject performance of the set of activities; and presenting an indication of an extent of subject relaxation. An associated multiple (e.g., up to 12) degree of freedom robotic orthosis can include a set of appendage motion modules configured for engaging with a portion of a subject appendage; a set of mechanical power interface modules coupled to the set of appendage motion modules and configured for facilitating movement of appendage motion modules within the set of appendage motion modules; and a set of flexible drive shafts couplable to the set of mechanical power interface modules.

1 . A system for facilitating rehabilitation of a body part of a subject, the system comprising:
 a first set of sensing devices configured for sensing first signals corresponding to the subject's mind state;   a second set of sensing devices configured for sensing second signals corresponding to the subject's body state, the second signals include signals corresponding to a measure of subject agonist-antagonist muscle contraction;   a subject interaction unit comprising a set of display devices configured for providing a visual interface to the subject, the visual interface comprising a functional development activity sequence interface configured for presenting a set of functional development activities to the subject;   a set of processing resources, wherein the set of processing resources is configured for generating:
 a mind state alignment measure indicating on a real time or near-real time basis whether the subject's mind state is conducive to learning, 
 a body state alignment measure indicating on a real time or near-real time basis the subject's body state is conducive to successfully performing the set of functional development activities, and 
 a mind-body synergy measure correlated with a voluntary muscle contraction measure that meets or exceeds a threshold muscle contraction condition, and which is temporally associated with each of the mind statement alignment measure satisfying a mind state alignment condition and each of the body state alignment measure satisfying a body state alignment condition; and 
   wherein the visual interface is configured for selectively presenting to the subject:
 a visual representation of a level of subject activation of each of an agonist muscle and an antagonist muscle associated with the subject's performance of the set of functional development activity sequence, 
 mind state training exercises if the processing unit determines that the subject's mind state is not conducive to learning, and 
 body state training exercises following the processing unit's determination that the subject's mind state is conducive to learning and the subject's body state is not conducive to successfully performing the set of functional development activities. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the set of processing resources comprises a processing unit and a memory in which program instructions executable by the processing unit reside. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mind state alignment measure is calculated using the first signals, the mind state alignment measure indicating whether or not the subject's mind state is correlated with a target mind state based on a target mind state parameter, wherein the target mind state is a relaxed yet alert mind state conducive to learning. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the body state alignment measure is calculated using the second signals, the body state alignment measure indicating whether or not the subject's body state is correlated with a target body state based on a target body state parameter, wherein the target body state is a relaxed body state which is conducive to successfully performing a set of functional development activities. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the visual interface is configured for presenting visual information, the visual information includes:
 the set of functional development activities to be performed by the subject, the set of function development activities shows at least one target movement of a model body part that is a mirror image of the subject body part;   a set of mind state training exercises to be performed by the subject, the set of mind state training exercises facilitates transition of the subject's mind state to a target mind state;   a set of body state training exercises to be performed by the subject, the set of body state training exercises facilitates transition of the subject's body state to a target body state;   a visual mind state feedback element that provides a visual representation of the mind state alignment measure;   a visual body state feedback element that provides a visual representation of the body state alignment measure; and   at least one of
 a visual mind-body alignment feedback element that provides a visual representation of the mind-body synergy measure, and 
 a visual representation of subject mind-body synergy measure values across time corresponding to subject performance or attempted performance of the set of functional development activities. 
   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the set of processing resources is configured to present the set of functional development activities to be performed by the subject on the visual interface and to automatically
 determine whether the subject's mind state is conducive to learning based on the mind state alignment measure calculated from the first signals sensed by the first set of sensing devices,   determine whether the subject's body state is conducive to successfully performing the set of functional development activities based on the body state alignment measure calculated from the second signals sensed by the second set of sensing devices,   determine whether a subject muscle contraction relevant to performing the set of functional development activities by the subject has occurred.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein, after the set of processing resources determines that if a target muscle contraction relevant to performing the set of functional development activities by the subject has occurred,
 if the subject's body state based on the body state measure is conducive to successfully performing the set of functional development activities and the mind state based on the mind state measure is not conducive to learning, the set of processing resources temporarily transitions the visual interface from the presentation of the set of functional development activities to a presentation of mind state training exercises to be performed by the subject to thereby facilitate transitioning the subject's mind state to a target mind state which is conducive to learning to improve rehabilitation of the subject when performing the set of functional development activities; and 
 if the subject's mind state based on the mind state measure is conducive to learning and the subject's body state based on the body state measure is not conducive to successfully performing the set of functional development activities, the set of processing resources temporarily transitions the visual interface from the presentation of the set of functional development activities to a presentation of body state training exercises to be performed by the subject to thereby facilitate transitioning the subject's body state to a target body state which is conducive to successfully performing the set of functional development activities to improve rehabilitation of the subject when performing the set of functional development activities. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of sensing devices comprises a set of devices configured for detecting signals representative of intracranial neural activity. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of sensing devices comprises a set of electroencephalographic (EEG) signal detection elements. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second set of sensing devices comprises a set of devices configured for detecting signals corresponding to peripheral nervous system activity. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second set of sensing devices comprises a set of electromyographic (EMG) signal detection elements. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mind state alignment measure corresponds to at least one of a level of stress, a level of anxiety, a level of mental relaxation, and a level of mental attention or focus. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mind state alignment measure is correlated with a ratio between a mean relative alpha band power measure Pa, and a delta-to-alpha measure DAR referenced to a particular time t, normalized to a baseline or at rest ratio between the mean relative alpha measure Pa, and the delta-to-alpha measure DAR. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the body state alignment measure mathematically defines an extent to which subject agonist muscle contractions relevant to the set of functional development activities including a movement sequence under consideration at time t are dominant or subordinate with respect to subject antagonist muscle contraction counterproductive to the movement sequence under consideration at time t for the set of functional development activities. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the system is wearable by the subject. 
     
     
         16 . A system for facilitating rehabilitation of a body part of a subject, the system comprising:
 a first set of sensing devices configured for sensing first signals corresponding to the subject's mind state;   a second set of sensing devices configured for sensing second signals corresponding to the subject's body state, the second signals include signals corresponding to a measure of subject agonist-antagonist muscle contraction;   a subject interaction unit comprising a set of display devices configured for providing a visual interface to the subject, the visual interface comprising a biofeedback interface and a functional development activity sequence interface configured for presenting a set of functional development activities to the subject;   a set of processing resources, wherein the set of processing resources is configured for generating:
 a mind state alignment measure indicating on a real time or near-real time basis whether the subject's mind state is conducive to learning, 
 a body state alignment measure indicating on a real time or near-real time basis the subject's body state is conducive to successfully performing the set of functional development activities, and 
 a mind-body synergy measure correlated with a voluntary muscle contraction measure that meets or exceeds a threshold muscle contraction condition, and which is temporally associated with each of the mind statement alignment measure satisfying a mind state alignment condition and each of the body state alignment measure satisfying a body state alignment condition; 
   wherein the biofeedback interface is configured for providing a visual representation of the mind state alignment measure and a visual representation of the body state alignment measure; and   wherein the visual interface is configured for selectively presenting to the subject:
 a visual representation of a level of subject activation of each of an agonist muscle and an antagonist muscle associated with the subject's performance of the set of functional development activity sequence, 
 mind state training exercises if the processing unit determines that the subject's mind state is not conducive to learning, and 
 body state training exercises following the processing unit's determination that the subject's mind state is conducive to learning and the subject's body state is not conducive to successfully performing the set of functional development activities. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the biofeedback comprising a visual representation of a measure of subject relaxed mental attention, and a visual representation of a measure of subject bodily tension. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the biofeedback comprises information related to
 at least one mind state indicator corresponding to particular times, wherein the mind state indicator is calculated from the first signals, the mind state indicator indicates whether or not aspects of the subject's mind state is conducive to the functional development activities at the particular times according to a predetermined reference mind state parameter; 
 at least one body state indicator corresponding to the particular times, wherein the body state indicator is calculated from the second signals, the body state indicator indicates whether or not a target portion of the subject's body is conducive to the functional development activities according to a predetermined reference body state parameter; and 
 at least one mind-body synergy indicator corresponding to the particular times, wherein the mind-body synergy indicator includes a BTI which is a quantitative measure calculated from the first and second signals, the BTI indicates a likelihood that the subject's mind state and body state can synergistically facilitate burst type functional development results at the particular times. 
 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the biofeedback facilitates determination to
 continue performing the functional development activities if the mind state and body state indicators are aligned with the predetermined reference mind state and predetermined reference body state parameters, or 
 initiate performing new functional development activities if the mind state and body state indicators are not aligned with the predetermined reference mind state and predetermined reference body state parameters to adjust the subject's mind state and body state to cause the mind state and body state indicators to be aligned with the predetermined reference mind state and predetermined reference body state parameters. 
 
     
     
         20 . A method for facilitating rehabilitation of a body part of a subject, the method comprising:
 sensing first signals corresponding to the subject's mind state;   sensing second signals corresponding to the subject's body state, the second signals include signals corresponding to a measure of subject agonist-antagonist muscle contraction;   providing a visual interface, wherein the visual interface includes a functional development activity sequence interface configured for presenting a set of functional development activities to the subject;   generating a mind state alignment measure indicating whether the subject's mind state is conducive to learning, a body state alignment measure indicating whether the subject's mind state is conducive to successfully perform a set of functional development activities, and a mind-body synergy measure correlated with a voluntary muscle contraction measure that meets or exceeds a threshold muscle contraction condition, and which is temporally associated with each of the mind statement alignment measure satisfying a mind state alignment condition and each of the body state alignment measure satisfying a body state alignment condition; and   presenting selectively to the subject to perform:
 a visual representation of a level of subject activation of each of an agonist muscle and an antagonist muscle associated with the subject's performance of the set of functional development activity sequence, 
 mind state training exercise if the processing unit determines that the subject's mind state is not conducive to learning, and 
 body state training exercises following the processing unit's determination that the subject's mind state is conducive to learning and the subject's body state is not conducive to successfully performing the set of functional development activities.