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Rehabilitation Esther Duarte

The Rehabilitation Research Group (RERG) finds its main scientific objectives in advancing in the knowledge on brain plasticity and motor recovery after brain damage, as well as evaluating the effect of physical training on lung and heart diseases, cancer and ageing.

The group has participated in several studies on neural plasticity observed through neuroimaging techniques from Music Therapy and Virtual Reality and its effects on the motor recovery of the upper extremity in acquired brain lesions. Other lines of research on neuro-rehabilitation are the study of oropharyngeal dysphagia and respiratory muscle training for patients after a stroke.

Research on Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation is aimed at the study of the effects of training and therapeutic exercise in patients with diseases such as heart weakness, acute myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The study of factors associated to lymphoedema and its therapeutic approach in patients with breast cancer are also current research topics.

From a technological point of view, the Group participates in developing telerehabilitation systems to manage osteoarticular (knee replacement surgery) and cardiorespiratory processes. It collaborates with several external research groups (SPECTS, Universitat Pompeu Fabra; Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit Department of Basic Psychology, University of Barcelona; IDIBAPS) for new rehabilitation technologies to treat lesions of the brain.

Other top priorities of the group include the production of doctoral theses and the training of young researchers.