Sandra Brauer

About

Sandra Brauer is a leading researcher in stroke rehabilitation, with a primary focus on restoring upper limb function in survivors with severe paresis. Her work addresses one of the most challenging clinical problems in neurorehabilitation: how to promote recovery when traditional therapy approaches have limited efficacy. Brauer’s major contributions include systematic evidence synthesis and innovative training interventions. Her highly cited 2010 systematic review (77 citations) critically evaluated interventions for severe upper limb paresis, providing a foundational evidence base for clinicians. She has also investigated the neurophysiological mechanisms of recovery, as demonstrated in her 2009 study (51 citations) on training-induced changes in muscle activation patterns—specifically, the triceps-to-biceps ratio during reaching tasks after chronic, severe stroke. This work revealed that targeted training can reshape abnormal motor patterns. Brauer has further advanced the field through protocol development, such as the SMART Arm training trial (2013, 21 citations), which aims to deliver high-dose, task-specific therapy early post-stroke. Her research bridges mechanistic understanding with practical, scalable interventions, directly informing rehabilitation strategies for patients with the most profound disabilities.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Interventions to promote upper limb recovery in stroke survivors with severe paresis: a systematic review

   77 citations · 2010
2. 2
   Training-induced changes in the pattern of triceps to biceps activation during reaching tasks after chronic and severe stroke

   51 citations · 2009
3. 3
   The efficacy of SMART Arm training early after stroke for stroke survivors withsevere upper limb disability: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial

   21 citations · 2013

Key Collaborators

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