Solution

Fightthestroke, an Italian social enterprise founded in 2014, has developed an online platform called ‘Mirrorable’ to support rehabilitation of young stroke survivors. Mirrorable is a home-based therapy programme based on Action Observation Treatment, which states that by observing and imitating the actions of others we trigger specific neurons in our own brain. Young stroke survivors are paired via a video platform and undertake tasks together to improve motor skills. A clinical trial on children with unilateral cerebral palsy has demonstrated an improvement in hand motor function compared to traditional rehabilitation, along with high levels of adherence and engagement.

Impact

There are few effective and accessible evidence-based solutions to help rehabilitate motor skills in the estimated 17 million children with cerebral palsy worldwide.

Results of a clinical trial, presented in 2018, showed a 26 per cent improvement in motor function, increased family engagement, and 100 per cent adherence to the daily exercises.

The Mirrorable model costs approximately half as much as conventional therapy.

Goals

Mirrorable is now developing a business model to bring the product to a wider market, while keeping prices as low as possible for families of young stroke survivors.

Mirrorable’s cloud-based technology makes easily transferable, and the operating system is already available in Italian, Spanish and English. Fightthestroke is exploring whether the programme might be appropriate for other target groups, such as adult stroke survivors or people with Parkinson’s disease.

Fightthestroke has also developed an offline programme to complement Mirrorable’s online platform, and held its first intensive Mirrorable sports camp for children with unilateral cerebral palsy in August 2018.

Needs

public/private hospitals, insurance companies, patient associations, empowered families and funders willing to partner with us and develop a new ecosystem of rehabilitation for people with Cerebral Palsy.

Transfer Model

We can offer the following to our partners:
Unifying principles
Expertise
Research
Best practices
Content
Database management
Training center

We expect the following from our partners:
Legal landscape expertise and management
Content localization/camps
Program management
Organizational capacity
Families networking

Further Info

Mirrorable website
Mirrorable founders’ Ted Talk (video)
Mirrorable demo video

Contact person: Francesca Fedeli francesca@fightthestroke.org