The Tailwind Story - University of Maryland

In life – and in science especially – there are sometimes happy accidents, turns in the road you don’t expect but which lead in exciting directions. Such was the case with Jill Whitall, PhD, professor, and Sandra McCombe-Waller, PT, PhD, associate professor, whose research into a bilateral arm rehabilitation device unexpectedly brought them a patented product and a whirlwind of attention.

They never set out to create such a stir when they first started this research in the late 1990s. Their primary concern was the stroke patients coming through their doors, who were traditionally offered rehabilitative options to improve leg function and gait but did not get the same attention paid to their affected upper extremities.

Utilizing their past experience with rhythmic cueing devices and motor-learning principles, McCombe-Waller and Whitall came up with the idea for the BATRAC (Bilateral Arm Training with Rhythmic Auditory Cueing) device. They worked with a physical therapy student, David Grant, to build their first prototype. This first device was made of wood, and was used in the initial research study, which investigated the response to six weeks of training in individuals with chronic hemiparesis.

“Our initial intent was never to make a device and sell it,’” says McCombe-Waller. “Our motivation has been studying the use of the device and how to help people with stroke regain arm function. Initially, it was targeted for lower-functioning people, for whom there really was nothing. They had no options; they didn’t even qualify for studies at that time.”

You can download the whole story - an article by Caelie M. Haines in the University of Maryland Fall Bulletin -  as a PDF using this link or via clicking the image above. NOTE: Image is 648 Kb PDF and may open a new browser window.