Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre

The Rehabilitation Laboratory

At the heart of UFCSPA’s research endeavors is the Rehabilitation Laboratory, led by Assistant Professor Dr. Aline de Souza Pagnussat, PhD, PT. This laboratory serves as a hub for both undergraduate and postgraduate students engaged in Rehabilitation Sciences. The primary focus of the lab is to investigate neurological disorders, their impact on motor function, and to develop effective treatment protocols.

The lab is particularly dedicated to research on children with cerebral palsy, adults with stroke, and patients with Parkinson’s disease. Researchers analyze patient movement both inside and outside the laboratory using the G-WALK, a wearable technology that allows monitoring in real-life environments. This is particularly crucial for Parkinson’s patients, as motor difficulties are often not fully evident in a lab setting, where patients tend to overcompensate and focus excessively on their movements.

The BTS Bioengineering technologies employed in the lab also enable the evaluation of widely adopted therapeutic approaches to verify their actual benefits. For instance, the team has conducted studies on the Bobath Method, using inertial sensors to measure movement and electromyography (EMG) systems to assess muscle activity.

For Parkinson’s disease, the research has focused on analyzing sensory deficits in the feet and their impact on gait and locomotion. Stroke is the most extensively studied condition in the lab, with research covering both upper and lower limbs. The team is actively working on creating correlations between clinical functional tests and data obtained from technological assessments.