Stroke patients continue to present a major challenge to the rehabilitation professions. In particular, the "rehabilitated" patient with a useless hand remains an all too common phenomenon. This book focuses on the sensory perceptual disturbances caused by stroke which, even if slight can be the crucial factor in poor hand function. A wide-ranging review is presented of the processes of functional reorganisation by which the brain responds to the demands posed by injury as well as by learning. An inescapable conclusion from this literature is that any therapy which aims to harness these processes for the restoration of function after stroke needs to engage the patient's attention and motivation. This is followed by a detailed description of the method of Sensory Re-education developed by the author through long experience with patients and culminating in a clinical trial which establised its effectiveness. While the book is intended primarily for physiotherapists and occupational therapists, it contains much to interest all who are concerned with brain function in health and disease, including neurologists and neuropsychologists, as well as stroke patients and their families. Contents Introduction The Challenge: Stroke and its Aftermath The Effectiveness of Therapy The Quest for a Different Approach Sensory Loss in Stroke: Sensory Testing and the Frequency and Types of Deficit The Functional Implications of Sensory Loss The Theoretical Basis of Sensory Re-education: Sources Peripheral Nerve Lesions; Central Lesions Guide-lines for Intervention Contributions from Psychology: Attention; Motivation The Essentials of Sensory Re-education: The Focus on the Hand The Therapeutic Relationship The Protocol for a Sensory Task Summary The Curriculum I: How to Use the Curriculum Lessons in Touch The Curriculum II: Lessons in Proprioception Lessons in the Recognition of Objects and Their Qualities Suggestions for Homework Validation of the Method: Theoretical Considerations A Controlled Trial The Next Step Wider Applications: Sensory Problems in Standing and Walking After Stroke Cerebral Palsy Other Conditions Wider Applications Conclusion

Increasing evidence identifies the possibility of restoring function to the damaged brain via exogenous therapies. One major target for these advances is stroke, where most patients can be left with significant disability. Treatments have the potential to improve the victim's quality of life significantly and reduce the time and expense of rehabilitation. Brain Repair After Stroke reviews the biology of spontaneous brain repair after stroke in animal models and in humans. Detailed chapters cover the many forms of therapy being explored to promote brain repair and consider clinical trial issues in this context. This book provides a summary of the neurobiology of innate and treatment-induced repair mechanisms after hypoxia and reviews the state of the art for human therapeutics in relation to promoting behavioral recovery after stroke. Essential reading for stroke physicians, neurologists, rehabilitation physicians and neuropsychologists.

Accurate assessment of hand function is critical to any treatment regimen of the hand compromised patient. Hand Function is a practical, clinical book which provides the knowledge needed to distinguish the different dimensions of hand function, particularly impairment, disability and handicap. Beginning with an overview of basic principles and examination, subsequent chapters evaluate the hand function in specific afflicted populations, including the rheumatoid patient, the stroke patient, the trauma patient, the geriatric patient and the pediatric patient, as well as special populations such as diabetes mellitus patients and musicians. An appendix containing hand function scales essential to the assessment of disability is also included. Rheumatologists, physiatrists, hand surgeons, orthopedists, occupational therapists and physical therapists will all find Hand Function a useful and valuable addition to their clinical references.

Stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention. With active and efficient nursing management in the initial hours after stroke onset and throughout subsequent care, effective recovery and rehabilitation is increased. Acute Stroke Nursing provides an evidence-based, practical text facilitating the provision of optimal stroke care during the primary prevention, acute and continuing care phases. This timely and comprehensive text is structured to follow the acute stroke pathway experienced by patients. It explores the causes, symptoms and effects of stroke, and provides guidance on issues such as nutrition, continence, positioning, mobility and carer support. The text also considers rehabilitation, discharge planning, palliative care and the role of the nurse within the multi-professional team. Acute Stroke Nursing is the definitive reference on acute stroke for all nurses and healthcare professionals wishing to extend their knowledge of stroke nursing. Evidence-based and practical in style, with case studies and practice examples throughout Edited and authored by recognised stroke nursing experts, clinicians and leaders in the field of nursing practice, research and education The first text to explore stroke management from UK and international perspectives, and with a nursing focus

Stroke Rehabilitation: Insights from Neuroscience and Imaging informs and challenges neurologists, rehabilitation therapists, imagers, and stroke specialists to adopt more restorative and scientific approaches to stroke rehabilitation based on new evidence from neuroscience and neuroimaging literatures. The fields of cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging are advancing rapidly and providing new insights into human behavior and learning. Similarly, improved knowledge of how the brain processes information after injury and recovers over time is providing new perspectives on what can be achieved through rehabilitation. Stroke Rehabilitation explores the potential to shape and maximize neural plastic changes in the brain after stroke from a multimodal perspective. Active skill based learning is identified as a central element of a restorative approach to rehabilitation. The evidence behind core learning principles as well as specific learning strategies that have been applied to retrain lost functions of movement, sensation, cognition and language are also discussed. Current interventions are evaluated relative to this knowledge base and examples are given of how active learning principles have been successfully applied in specific interventions. The benefits and evidence behind enriched environments is reviewed with examples of potential application in stroke rehabilitation. The capacity of adjunctive therapies, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, to modulate receptivity of the damaged brain to benefit from behavioral interventions is also discussed in the context of this multimodal approach. Focusing on new insights from neuroscience and imaging, the book explores the potential to tailor interventions to the individual based on viable brain networks.

An essential companion for busy professionals seeking to navigate stroke-related clinical situations successfully and make quick informed treatment decisions.

Constraint-Induced Movement therapy (CI therapy) is a behavioral approach to neurorehabilitation based on a program of neuroscience experiments conducted with monkeys. Evidence has accumulated to support the efficacy of CI therapy for rehabilitating hemiparetic arm use in individuals with chronic stroke. This book addresses the related topics.

Fully revised throughout, the new edition of this concise textbook is aimed at doctors preparing to specialize in stroke care.