What’s New in Stroke Rehabilitation

摘要

troke rehabilitation has been revolutionized in the last decade through a combination of new imaging techniques looking at brain recovery and clinical trials into what is working in stroke rehabilitation. The fear that rehabilitation was a long way from being rooted in science 1 has been overcome by an increasing understanding of neuronal recovery processes and their modulation by various physical and pharmacological interventions. More than 300 randomized controlled trials provide a sound foundation for evidence-based practice in stroke rehabilitation, supplementing and often confirming decades of clinical experience. This growing body of knowledge has been enriched by several studies in 2003. Advances in basic sciences and clinical research are beginning to merge and show that the human brain is capable of significant recovery after stroke, provided that the appropriate treatments and stimuli are applied in adequate amounts and at the right time. What is particularly exciting is the introductions of new technologies such as robotic enhancement of therapies and virtual reality to further enhance that recovery.