The Kessler Foundation drives positive change for people with disabilities. The Kessler Foundation both
conducts groundbreaking rehabilitative and disability research and funds innovative initiatives for those with
disabilities. The Foundation’s main goal is to help people with disabilities regain their function and achieve
maximum independence.
The Kessler Foundation implemented AC360 therapy to initially investigate and understand the neuromuscular
mechanism during an AC360 isometric core strengthening program designed to strengthen the trunk muscles.
The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of developing patient specific and intense neuromuscular
training programs for improved trunk function. An adaptive peer-reviewed study also ensued once the trunk
findings were positive with a patient who suffered from severe chronic hemiplagia (one-sided paralysis)
following a stroke. This study and its results have been submitted for publication in IEEE Engineering in Medicine
and Biology.
Specifically, the initial AC360 trunk training program study showed the ability to isolate and train trunk muscle
groups in a holistic, uniform, systematic, consistent and repetitive manner. A clear relationship was found to
exist between system parameters (inclination angles and direction of rotation) and muscular output. In 2020,
these findings were presented to the American College of Rehabilitative Medicine. The positive results from the
study are leading to a larger clinical trial for investigating the potential use of the AC360 as a long-term, regular
component of stroke rehabilitation in clinical settings.
These findings are important as strokes are the leading cause of disability in the US. According to the CDC, there
are an estimated 795,000 new stroke cases each year in the US. By implementing the AC360 therapy into stroke rehabilitation programs, the patients have the potential to regain functional use of the affected areas and
improve their quality of life.
Kessler Foundation Abstracts & Publications
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34892271/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35625054/
