The Lillian and David E. Feldman Research
Center for Rehabilitation Sciences

For people with upper-limb amputations who use body-powered hook prostheses, everyday activities that may seem simple, such as using a computer mouse, can become challenging. Difficulty operating a standard mouse may lead users to rely on their unaffected hand or adopt compensatory movements, resulting in increased physical effort, fatigue, and pain, and potentially making it more difficult to enter or return to the workplace.

This study examines a Smart Mouse—a novel interface designed specifically to enable efficient computer use with a hook prosthesis. The study will compare the Smart Mouse with a standard computer mouse, assessing speed and accuracy, ease of use, physical strain, pain, and user satisfaction. Participants will use the Smart Mouse over a two-week period, allowing us to examine not only initial performance but also how users adapt to the technology over time.

The goal of the study is to determine whether adapting everyday technology to the specific needs of people who use prostheses can reduce physical effort and pain, improve independence and computer use, and support participation in work and daily life

The current study focuses on developing and validating a decision-support tool for setting rehabilitation goals. The tool is based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO, 2001) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. The ICF provides a conceptual framework and a common language for describing health and functioning, including key categories such as body structures, body functions, activities, social participation, and environmental factors. The tool will use a theoretical model developed by Dr. Ayala Bloch from Ariel University, in which she presents the stages of the rehabilitation continuum and the rehabilitation goals at each stage, referring to the central concepts of the ICF.
The proposed study will validate a technological tool based on artificial intelligence (AI) developed in Dr. Bloch’s lab and designed to assist in setting rehabilitation goals. The use of AI in healthcare, particularly in rehabilitation, is expanding and offers innovative solutions to clinical challenges (Rasa, 2024). The tool will receive discharge summaries from the patients’ previous medical and rehabilitation facilities at “Adi Negev” (inpatient and day-care departments). Based, among other things, on an ICF-based goals table, the system will analyze clinical information and suggest goals for the previous setting, as well as updated goals for the patient’s current stage, after the completion of rehabilitation in the setting described in the summary. In this study, we will quantitatively and qualitatively compare (using a mixed statistical model) the goals suggested by the technological system with those proposed by experienced rehabilitation professionals, in a way that will allow us to assess the accuracy and applicability of the tool.

Insomnia is a common condition that significantly impacts quality of life and is often accompanied by anxiety, creating a cycle where poor sleep worsens anxiety and vice versa. Standard treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and sleep medications, are not always effective or suitable for all patients, highlighting the need for safe, non-pharmacological approaches. This study examines the potential of non-invasive brain stimulation called tACS (transcranial alternating current stimulation) to improve sleep and reduce anxiety. The intervention uses a personalized device designed to reset sleep patterns and regulate hyperarousal. A controlled trial will assess whether a short, intensive three-day tACS treatment can produce meaningful improvements in insomnia severity, sleep quality, anxiety, and mood. The findings may offer a safe, rapid, and non-drug treatment option for individuals struggling with insomnia and related anxiety.