GLENROSE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION  | 25
Among them is STRIVE, a partnership between 
the University of Calgary, Alberta Health Services, 
and Red Iron Labs. Recovery after stroke 
often depends on repetition and consistency, 
yet many survivors receive far less therapy 
than clinical guidelines recommend. STRIVE 
combines immersive virtual reality with remote 
clinical oversight, allowing patients to complete 
personalized rehabilitation exercises from home 
while clinicians monitor progress and adjust 
treatment as recovery evolves. 
One of the project’s most unique features 
addresses aphasia, a communication disorder 
that affects many stroke survivors. Using artificial 
intelligence, the platform simulates realistic 
conversations, giving patients another way to 
practice speech therapy when access to a 
speech-language pathologist is limited.
Building on the potential of technology to make 
rehabilitation more accessible, another project led 
by the Glenrose, in partnership with smartphone-
based rehabilitation platform Tenzr, is helping 
stroke survivors continue therapy at home using 
movement sensors, biofeedback, and real-
time clinician monitoring. The platform makes 
rehabilitation more engaging, enabling therapists 
to create personalized care plans with a game-
like experience that motivates patients to keep 
going. Clinics using the platform have reported 
care-plan completion rates increasing from 
30% to 80%, helping patients stay on track and 
reducing the risk of reinjury.
Technology is also helping address another 
significant challenge in stroke recovery: post-
stroke spasticity. For many stroke survivors, 
muscle tightening, also known as spasticity, can 
affect everything from walking and dressing to 
independence and quality of life. 
ZerOne Athleticare, U of A Rehabilitation 
Robotics Lab, and Kinetisense AI-
powered motion capture technology 
used in a sports movement assessment
Smartphone-based 
rehabilitation platform, 
Tenzr, provides at-home 
virtual therapy 
“Every day we ask ourselves: how 
can rehabilitation reach more 
Albertans, no matter where they 
live? Innovation allows us to do 
just that, to extend the Glenrose’s 
expertise into communities across 
the province. We’re proud to be 
part of this work.”
– Mark Korthuis
As one of Alberta’s leading centres for spasticity 
care, the Glenrose receives referrals from 
across the province, but growing demand 
continues to outpace capacity. To help 
address the challenge, Medical Lead Dr. 
Lalith Satkunam, Scientific Program Lead Dr. 
Jessica D’Amico, and the University of Alberta 
Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory are 
exploring how the province’s existing TeleRehab 
network can combine with wearable sensors 
and advanced robotics to allow specialized 
assessments to take place virtually.
Beyond stroke care, the last project brings 
together Edmonton’s ZerOne Athleticare, the 
University of Alberta Rehabilitation Robotics 
Laboratory, and Kinetisense to evaluate the use 
of AI-powered motion capture technology in 
movement assessments for rural rehabilitation 
and athletic care. In the program’s second year, 
the technology will move from validation into 
clinical settings, with testing taking place at 
three rural sites.
For patients like Rehman, these innovations 
aren’t simply new technology, they represent 
access and the possibility that specialized 
rehabilitation care can be found close to home.

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