Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Stroke survivors often have motorimpairments which contribute to upper limbs dysfunctions, reduced balance, posturalcontrol and reduced mobility and proprioception. These physical symptoms lead toreduced social participation and poor quality of life. Over the past ten years, therehad been an enormous focus on the use of virtual reality (VR) and other technologiesto improve clinical outcomes for people with stroke. These technologies includelarge scale bespoke manufactured immersvie virtual reality system, or home basedrehabilitation device such as the commercially available device Nitendo Wii andMicrosoft XBox. The clinical efficacy of these rehabilitation technologies had beenstudied extensively but our understanding of the underlying mechanism of recoveryinduced by these technologies is poor. There are two aspects of “recovery” must beconsidered. One is the learning compensation strategies where patients acquired“new” skills to improve functional abilities. The other aspect is the neuroplasticitymechanism which leads to cortical map reorganisation. The patient is able to re-usethe same body segments in the same way as they did before the stroke. Publishedstudies generally reported improvement in upper limb function, lower limb function,balance and gait. This leads to the uncertainty whether these technologies areeffective in promoting “recovery” at neural level or functional level. With the advance in technology, monitoring techniques such as neural imaging,motion analysis, and EMGs devices have broad applications in the understandingof neural recovery post stroke. Studies that utilize functional outcome measuresor observational design may be more effective in identifying functional recovery.A combination of the two designs may be helpful to provide new insights on therecovery mechanism induced by rehabilitation devices.

Covering neuroscience and rehabilitation strategies, an essential handbook and reference for multidisciplinary stroke rehabilitation teams.

A Doody's Core Title 2012 Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation is the new gold standard comprehensive guide to the management of stroke patients. Beginning with detailed information on risk factors, epidemiology, prevention, and neurophysiology, the book details the acute and long-term treatment of all stroke-related impairments and complications. Additional sections discuss psychological issues, outcomes, community reintegration, and new research. Written by dozens of acknowledged leaders in the field, and containing hundreds of tables, graphs, and photographic images, Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation features: The first full-length discussion of the most commonly-encountered component of neurorehabilitation Multi-specialty coverage of issues in rehabilitation, neurology, PT, OT, speech therapy, and nursing Focus on therapeutic management of stroke related impairments and complications An international perspective from dozens of foremost authorities on stroke Cutting edge, practical information on new developments and research trends Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation is a valuable reference for clinicians and academics in rehabilitation and neurology, and professionals in all disciplines who serve the needs of stroke survivors.

"Well before evidence-based practice became fashionable beyond clinical medicine, the team at SSRU was telling us what we ought to already know - that some interventions work better than others, and that that some well-meaning attempts at health promotion, just like medicine and surgery, may do harm. This book is a must for policy makers and practitioners who want to make a real difference, and understand how research evidence can inform their practice. The book will also be an important tool for researchers, who will increasingly be using the tools of systematic review if they want to inform and influence those who deliver services." - Helen Roberts, Professor of Child Health, City University This book bridges the gap between research and practice in health promotion. It advances evidence-based health promotion by illustrating how service providers and researchers can change their working practices to benefit the public. It addresses the need for health promotion services to be grounded in empirical research, and for research to focus on issues important to those delivering as well as those receiving the services. Using Research for Effective Health Promotion advances the debate about the relative values of qualitative and experimental research in health promotion, and encourages an increased participation of service users in the development and evaluation of services. It provides health promotion specialists with time-saving tools to draw upon research quickly and critically; and is an important resource for students and professionals in fields such as public health, nursing, education, social work, and voluntary services.

This revised, updated second edition provides an accessible, practical overview of major areas of technical development and clinical application in the field of neurorehabilitation movement therapy. The initial section provides a rationale for technology application in movement therapy by summarizing recent findings in neuroplasticity and motor learning. The following section then explains the state of the art in human-machine interaction requirements for clinical rehabilitation practice. Subsequent sections describe the ongoing revolution in robotic therapy for upper extremity movement and for walking, and then describe other emerging technologies including electrical stimulation, virtual reality, wearable sensors, and brain-computer interfaces. The promises and limitations of these technologies in neurorehabilitation are discussed. Throughout the book the chapters provide detailed practical information on state-of-the-art clinical applications of these devices following stroke, spinal cord injury, and other neurologic disorders. The text is illustrated throughout with photographs and schematic diagrams which serve to clarify the information for the reader. Neurorehabilitation Technology, Second Edition is a valuable resource for neurologists, biomedical engineers, roboticists, rehabilitation specialists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and those training in these fields.