A cerebrovascular accident or stroke is the second commonest cause of death in the world. If it is not fatal, it can result in paralysis, sensory impairment and significant disability. Rehabilitation plays an important role to help survivors relearn lost skills and assist them to regain independence and thus ameliorate their quality of life. With the development of technology, researchers have come up with new solutions to assist clinicians in monitoring and assessing their patients; as well as making physiotherapy available to all.
The use of advanced technological solutions (“neurotechnologies”) can improve the clinical outcomes of neurorehabilitation after stroke. Here, Micera et al. propose a paradigm shift that is based on a deep understanding of the basic mechanisms of natural stroke recovery and technology-assisted neurorehabilitation to improve the clinical effectiveness of neurotechnology.