New robotic techniques are giving hope to patients with brain injury, even if the injury goes back years, say U.S. researchers.

“Today’s technology, if used correctly, can improve function in a patient who suffered disease or injury many years ago,” said Stanley Fisher, a physician at the Movement Disorders and Neuro-Rehabilitation Center at Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston. “We can’t abandon them. They should come back to us and we should reassess their condition in light of these new tools.”

There are a variety of new robotic devices to help people recover function in their arms and legs, such as a robotically enhanced treadmill called the AutoAmbulator, and even a visual restoration device, Fisher said. He noted that he and his team are also currently working on a virtual reality room to treat patients with both new and old brain injuries.

New technology is also being harnessed to relieve spasm in stroke patients and people with other neurological conditions. Fisher said the spasticity gets worse over time and can reverse gains made in the past.

Fisher said a promising therapy is the Intrathecal Baclofen Pump, which is implanted in the abdomen with a catheter to the spine, to send anti-spasmodic drugs directly to the muscles, instead of using oral drugs that affect the entire body and put the patient in a fog.

Mya Schiess, Fisher’s mentor at the University of Texas, reported on the pump last year at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.