International Journal of Frontiers in Engineering Technology, 2026, 8(2); doi: 10.25236/IJFET.2026.080212.
Yuyao Wang
The Ethel Walker School, Simsbury, Connecticut, United States
Neurological conditions impact more than 3.4 billion individuals across the world and are the most prevalent cause of long-term disability in the world, yet the current rehabilitation methods utilize only a small part of the sensorimotor network that can be restored. The paper describes a novel engineering system where rhythmic motion of many axis - provided in the sagittal, coronal and yaw planes of a 6 degree of freedom platform - can concurrently entrain neural activity in the vestibular, proprioceptive, auditory and visual systems. Rhythmic auditory beat and visual optic flow were synchronized with platform motion through a real-time closed-loop controller on the basis of continuous Electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring and neural entrainment was measured as a composite Entrainment Index of Inter-Trial Coherence, Phase Locking Value, and power change in the beta-band. A controlled trial compared the multi-axis platform against single-axis rhythmic auditory stimulation and conventional physiotherapy. The multi-axis platform produced significantly stronger neural entrainment and superior motor outcomes across all clinical measures, with entrainment strength demonstrating a strong correlation with motor recovery confirming the Electroencephalography (EEG) Entrainment Index as a reliable real-time clinical biomarker. No serious adverse events were recorded, establishing multi-axis rhythmic entrainment as a safe, effective, and neuroscience-driven paradigm for next-generation neuro-rehabilitation.
Neural Entrainment, Neuro-Rehabilitation, Electroencephalography (EEG), Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation, 6-DOF Platform
Yuyao Wang. Engineering Rhythmic Multi-Axis Motion to Induce Neural Entrainment for Neuro-Rehabilitation. International Journal of Frontiers in Engineering Technology (2026), Vol. 8, Issue 2: 94-103. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJFET.2026.080212.
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