The New Electric Power Assist Unit for Wheelchairs for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

A new electric powet assist unit for wheelchairs (JW-II; YAMAHA MOTOR Co., LTD.) has become available. With this unit, a little muscle power is needed to drive the handrim. The usefulness of this unit was clinically evaluated for four patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). None of the patients were ambulatory, and their upper limb muscular power was gravity eliminated. Although they had decreased muscle power, all four patients were able to drive their wheelchairs. Neither roll down nor pile up accidents occurred. The maximum heart rate during driving increased approximately 33% on average above that at rest. In addition, the patients felt that they could drive their wheelchairs by themselves without electrical power assist, unlike ordinary electric wheelchairs. This new unit appears to be safe and useful for DMD patients in expanding their ADL.