August 28, 2020 | Glendale, AZ

The CAREN (Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment) system is an immersive virtual reality environment for advanced clinical evaluation, analysis, and rehabilitation for a variety of neuro-physical conditions that may affect vision, balance, and physical abilities.

Midwestern University’s newest community clinic, the Midwestern University Therapy Institute, is now open for patient care. The state-of-the-art 74,000 square foot Therapy Institute features expert care in specialty areas including Clinical Psychology, Low Vision Rehabilitation, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Sports Vision Performance Training, and Vision Therapy.

Patients at the Therapy Institute also have a unique new partner to help in their rehabilitation assessment and training: CAREN. One of less than 20 in the U.S. and only 50 worldwide, the CAREN (Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment) system is an immersive virtual reality environment for advanced clinical evaluation, analysis, and rehabilitation for a variety of neuro-physical conditions that may affect vision, balance, and physical abilities. The CAREN, with its motion capture system, is considered to be the most advanced biomechanics lab to research, train, and assess all aspects of human movement, balance, and locomotion.

This highly interactive system consists of a moving platform with an embedded, dual-belt instrumented treadmill, wrap-around projection screens, integrated motion capture system, and electromyography, which measures electrical activity in skeletal muscle to help diagnose neuromuscular disorders or provide biofeedback. These specialized features create controlled virtual environments, from walking down a forest path to steering a speedboat on a lake or navigating objects on a road, in which patients can interact safely and healthcare providers can obtain important kinetic and kinematic data.

The CAREN is customizable for individual patient needs, and the system is utilized at Midwestern University especially for assessment and rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson’s disease, strokes, brain injuries, physical injuries, visual skills training, and more. It also offers balance and gait assessment programs, falls assessment, and manual propulsion for patients in wheelchairs.  

For more information about the Midwestern University Therapy Institute, visit https://www.mwuclinics.com/arizona/services/therapy or call 623-537-6000.