A robotic arm is designed to provide autonomy to patients with ALS

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Until the therapeutic inflection point that manages to alter the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) arrives,

that make your life easier.

From Harvard University, the intention is to do their 'grain of sand' with the design of a robotic arm.

"We have managed to materialize one of the few technological examples reported in the scientific literature, probably the only one specifically tested in people living with ALS, which can help these people reduce the loss of motor control in the upper extremities by compensating with the support of a soft portable robot", explains Tommaso Proietti, bioengineer and lead author of the work, whose results are echoed this Wednesday by Science Translational Medicine.

Harvard's proposal is a light, comfortable and transportable device that helps patients with ALS to perform daily tasks independently.

The system has been successfully tested on 10 patients and the proof of its usefulness is that "

", emphasizes Proietti.

For the researcher, this is an important fact because "being able to test the device on affected people who need it is a privilege. Above all, because what we have learned from their needs can help more individuals in this situation."

Every year, 120,000 new cases of ALS are diagnosed worldwide, 17 every hour, and an increase of 69% in the number of patients is expected for the year 2040.

and 900 are diagnosed new ones per year, according to data from Fundela (Spanish Lateral Sclerosis Research Foundation).

"

: unfortunately, some people die after a few months, others can survive longer. Therefore, it is not easy to answer about the duration of the robotic solution that we have developed", points out Proietti.

"However, we showed how some participants, who tried it in two sessions six months apart, were achieving similar performances when supported by the robot, despite significant physical impairment. This is promising and shows that our technology can be adapted to degeneration due to motor disability".

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Since it is a progressive neurological disease, "patients gradually lose abilities and functional capacities, which means the appearance of dependency. And at the moment there is no treatment that has an impact on the course of the pathology" , explains Francisco Javier Rodríguez de Rivera, coordinator of the Study Group of Neuromuscular Diseases, from the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN).

Faced with ALS, "at the moment there are no effective medications to stop (among other effects) the loss of motor control. This clearly directly damages independence and quality of life," says Rodríguez de Rivera.

There is a lot of work in research, but it has not yet translated into direct improvements for patients, "because you have to find the 'trigger' that triggers the disease."

For this reason, patients live with resignation how their organism shuts down in the middle of the prime of their lives, between the 30-40s, with a peak of greater risk in the 50s to 75 years.

«Until now, the problem is that there is not a single origin factor, but several.

And we cannot treat everyone equally”, points out the neurologist.

Robotic device characteristics

The robotic arm

.

Its use does not require any type of training, because it is intuitive and also adapts to the different levels of deterioration and disability.

"

so that the robot continues to be a possible solution when the user cannot move at all, further extending the validity of the device", points out the researcher from Harvard University.

The bioengineer believes that this development will mark a turning point in the disease.

"Unfortunately,

. Our model, in theory, combines a series of characteristics that make it attractive: the materials used make it a cheap option; it is safe, since the worst The failure of the robot is that the balloon, which is used to perform the movements, bursts; it is easy to wear, it is put on like a shirt; it is light and portable, therefore it is easy to integrate it into the patients' home".

Rodríguez de Rivera appreciates the usefulness of this advance.

"Many of the patients have significant limitations because they cannot raise their arms.

For example, help is needed to fasten a bra when they cannot raise the shoulder above 40 degrees... In these cases, the device would help this and could give them a certain autonomy greater than what they have for a few months."

Six months has been the time they have 'enjoyed' the system.

In this space of time

The few more than 150 grams that the device weighs make it more attractive than exoskeletons, as pointed out in the article, and, in addition, Proietti adds that "its ease of use is perfect for environments not controlled by experts, such as at home or in another place".

Rodríguez de Rivera is blunt,

."

Although he does not hesitate to point out that "it does provide patients with quality of life, to whom it grants autonomy in their day. They can do without help when eating or washing."

And this factor is important "because many, when they become dependent on others for daily tasks, suffer changes in their state of mind and become depressed," Rodríguez de Rivera points out.

In this sense, he also agrees with Proietti, who states that

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