Gerard Fluet, Ph.D.
I am a practicing, licensed, Physical Therapist with over 15 years of experience evaluating and treating patients with stroke I have studied upper extremity rehabilitation interventions in persons with hemiparesis for the past 10 years.
Our lab has produced several systems utilizing haptically rendered virtual environments that present intensive motor training interventions designed to normalize arm and hand function. We have designed and tested lab-based, hospital based and now home-based equipment.
It has proven difficult to identify differences in effectiveness when comparing rehabilitation interventions in persons with stroke. A majority of the studies examining rehabilitation interventions utilize clinical measures of motor function. My group identified three differences in adaptations to two dose matched rehabilitation interventions using kinematic measures of upper extremity function. Two more studies run in our lab examine the relationship between changes in kinematic measures of upper extremity function and changes in real world function following motor interventions. Powerful neuro-plastic processes drive cortical re-organization in the days and weeks immediately following a stroke. These processes, their interaction with motor behavior and the impact of this interaction on functional recovery in persons with stroke are poorly understood. Our group studies the impact of focused motor practice on the recovery of hand function and the normalization of the neural control of hand function following a stroke.
The US Health care delivery system has placed limits on the duration of rehabilitation services available to persons with strokes. This has resulted in a demand for systems that provide access to rehabilitation activities that can be performed by patients in their homes Our group has developed a home-based rehabilitation system designed to improve the hand function of persons with hemiparesis due to stroke. We have studied the impact of the design of the system on its effectiveness and the ability of users to incorporate exercising with the system into their daily lives.
Research Assistant Professor
Email: qiuqi@shp.rutgers.edu
Jigna Patel
Assistant Professor
Email: patel421@shp.rutgers.edu
Alma Merians
Professor
Email: merians@shp.rutgers.edu
Sergei Adamovich
Adjunct Professor
Email: adamovicsa@shp.rutgers.edu
Holly Gorin
PhD Student
Email: hg284@shp.rutgers.edu
Title: R3THA: A machine learning-driven telerehabilitation solution designed to promote the personalized recovery of hand and arm functions post stroke.
Sponsor Agency: National Science Foundation
Brief Overview of Aims: Our goal is to evaluate the clinical potential of a machine learning rehabilitation system for persons with hand motor function problems caused by stroke.
Total Dollar Amount: $111,073
Funding Period: 06/15/202023 – 06/14/2025
Title: Utilizing gaming mechanics to optimize tele-rehabilitation adherence in persons with stroke
Sponsor Agency: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Brief Overview of Aims : Our goal is to assess the impact of a well-established game design strategy: the pairing of scaffolded increases in game difficulty with in-game rewards, on motivation to perform a telerehabilitation-based home exercise program, adherence to the program and changes in hand function subsequent to the program.
Total Dollar Amount: $324,858
Funding Period: 04/01/2019 – 03/31/2023
Title: Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Wearable Robots for Independent Living
Sponsor Agency: NIDILRR- Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) Program (NJIT Subaward)
Brief Overview of Aims: Dr. Fluet will participate in the development and testing of a home-based robotics therapy system. He will also consult with the engineers to help them design hardware and software, assist in the testing phase with IRB protocol writing and recruitment, and contribute to the dissemination of findings in the form of reports, presentations, and papers for publication in scientific journals.
Total Dollar Amount: $80,000
Funding Period: 09/30/2015 – 09/29/2020
Excellence in Research Award
School of Health Professions, Rutgers The State University of NJ
2017
Excellence in Teaching Award
School of Health Related Professions, Rutgers The State University of NJ
2014
Humanism in Healthcare Award
The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey
2007
- MontJohnson, A.; Cronce, A.; Qiu, Q.; Patel, J.; Eriksson, M.; Merians, A.; Adamovich, S.; Fluet, G. Laboratory-Based Examination of the Reliability and Validity of Kinematic Measures of Wrist and Finger Function Collected by a Telerehabilitation System in Persons with Chronic Stroke. Sensors2023, 23, 2656.
- Qiu Q, Cronce A, Patel J, Fluet GG, Mont AJ, Merians AS, Adamovich SV. Development of the Home based Virtual Rehabilitation System (HoVRS) to remotely deliver an intense and customized upper extremity training. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2020;17(1):155.
- Fluet GG, Qiu Q, Patel J, Cronce A, Merians AS, Adamovich SV. Autonomous Use of the Home Virtual Rehabilitation System: A Feasibility and Pilot Study. Games for Health J. 2019 (6):432-438.
- Patel J, Fluet G, Merians A, Qiu Q, Yarossi M, Tunik E, Massood S, Adamovich S. Intensive virtual reality and robotic based upper limb training compared to usual care, and associated cortical reorganization in the acute and early sub-acute periods post-stroke: A feasibility study. Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation 2019, 16:92
- Yarossi M, Patel J, Merians A, Qiu Q, Massood S, Fluet G, Adamovich S, Tunik E. The association between Reorganization of bilateral M1 topography and function in response to early intensive hand focused upper limb rehabilitation following stroke is dependent on ipsilesional corticospinal tract integrity. Frontiers in Neurology 2019; 10:258.
Interested in participating in one of our studies? Please contact Dr. Fluet at fluetge@shp.rutgers.edu
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