08 May 2019 18:38
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Being released from the hospital or skilled nursing facility after an illness or injury is not the completion of treatment in many cases. If MSC treatment becomes available for stroke patients, it is possible that current mortality and morbidity rates could substantially improve due to the direct enhancement of neuroprotection and neurorestoration mechanisms rather than only indirect facilitation or prevention of further damage, e.g. decompressive surgery.
Microsoft Kinect is a device which has been utilised to allow Virtual Rehabilitation differing from more conventional therapy in its ability to provide more brain exercises for stroke recovery innovative and exciting ways to rehabilitate 27 It can also allow for remote rehabilitation where clinicians are still able to monitor patient progress.
Effective stroke rehabilitation is dependent on patients continuing their exercise programme in the home environment 1 Microsoft Kinect is a device which can offer innovative and exciting ways to rehabilite, making treatment more enjoyable thus increasing motivation and therefore adherence 2 This is an important area for physiotherapists to develop their skills in, as technology is beginning to thrive in the health sector and is becoming a part of therapy treatment options.
Methods and analysis Thirty people poststroke will be provided with a Neurofenix platform, consisting of a NeuroBall or NeuroBands (dependent on impairment level), seven specially designed games, a tablet and handbook to independently exercise their upper limb for 7 weeks.
The patients in the body-weight supported treadmill and walking program group that started at six months made significant improvements in walking speed, despite widely held assumptions and reports that most functional improvements after stroke are complete by six months.
For example, severely impaired stroke patients were considered improved when they were able to walk around inside the house, whereas patients who were already mobile at home were considered improved when they could progress to walking independently in the community.
However, qualitative data obtained through interviews with people in the intervention group indicated that there were other benefits to using technology, such as the ability to look back on progress, share the rehabilitation experience with family and benefits for patients with visual or cognitive deficits who require support to follow a written program.
Dr Mead has received research funding for exercise after stroke, honoraria from Later Life Training to develop an educational course for exercise after stroke professionals and honoraria and expenses to present work on exercise after stroke at conferences.