Neurological Rehabilitation

#1 - WA's leading university in Neuroscience Research

ECU's neuroscience research includes Alzheimer's disease, stroke and other acquired brain injury, Huntington's disease, spinal cord injury, neuro-rehabilitation and autism.

This ground-breaking work is reflected by ECU being the only Western Australian university to receive the highest possible Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) rating in this field.

ECU also provides high-quality neuroscience postgraduate courses taught by experienced academics and clinical experts who work closely with industry partners.

Robotics for neuro-rehabilitation

Stroke, traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury can have large impacts on the ability to move independently. Research focusing on the use of robotics for rehabilitation could hold the key to effective treatments.

In a new laboratory at ECU, Professor Dylan Edwards uses robotic therapy to better understand mobility in people who have suffered a stroke, traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury.

Robotic therapy, he says, is likely to be an effective treatment in the future.

Professor Edwards is Director of the Neuro-rehabilitation and Robotics Laboratory, launched early in 2018.

Located at ECU's Joondalup Campus, the laboratory is home to Australia's first KINARM Exoskeleton, a $300,000 machine that combines robotics and virtual reality.

The robotic machinery allows researchers to study upper-arm voluntary motor control, and to quantify and provide a broad range of hand and joint-based information.

"The KINARM allows us to examine how someone is moving in a much more detailed way, allowing us to design more targeted rehabilitation programs for patients," Professor Edwards explains.

As part of the research, Professor Edwards seeks to develop the understanding of these conditions, which will lead to the design of new interventions to aid recovery.