NeuroAIreh@b: an artificial intelligence-based methodology for personalized and adaptive neurorehabilitation
Ana Lúcia Faria, Yuri Almeida, Diogo Branco, Joana Câmara, Mónica S. Cameirão, Luís Ferreira, André Moreira, Teresa Paulino, Pedro Rodrigues, Mónica Spínola, Manuela Vilar, Sergi Bermúdez i Badia, Mário R. Simões, Eduardo Fermé
Abstract
Cognitive impairments are a prevalent consequence of acquired brain injury, dementia, and age-related cognitive decline, hampering individuals' daily functioning and independence, with significant societal and economic implications. While neurorehabilitation represents a promising avenue for addressing these deficits, traditional rehabilitation approaches face notable limitations. First, they lack adaptability, offering one-size-fits-all solutions that may not effectively meet each patient's unique needs. Furthermore, the resource-intensive nature of these interventions, often confined to clinical settings, poses barriers to widespread, cost-effective, and sustained implementation, resulting in suboptimal outcomes in terms of intervention adaptability, intensity, and duration. In response to these challenges, this paper introduces NeuroAIreh@b, an innovative cognitive profiling and training methodology that uses an AI-driven framework to optimize neurorehabilitation prescription. NeuroAIreh@b effectively bridges the gap between neuropsychological assessment and computational modeling, thereby affording highly personalized and adaptive neurorehabilitation sessions. This approach also leverages virtual reality-based simulations of daily living activities to enhance ecological validity and efficacy. The feasibility of NeuroAIreh@b has already been demonstrated through a clinical study with stroke patients employing a tablet-based intervention. The NeuroAIreh@b methodology holds the potential for efficacy studies in large randomized controlled trials in the future.