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Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate a novel standardized protocol in this neurological weaning unit in order to optimize the weaning process for patients subjected to prolonged mechanical ventilation. Of primary interest were the frequency of and reasons for deviating from the protocol as well as risk factors for weaning failure and mortality., Patients and Methods: All patients admitted to the weaning unit were enrolled in this prospective observational study. The weaning protocol consisted of 22 discrete weaning steps. An individual weaning approach was only begun if the standardized protocol failed. Variables for risk analysis included age, body mass index, APACHE II score, reason for initiating mechanical ventilation, total duration of inpatient stay before admission to the weaning unit, extent of mechanical ventilation period before admission, chronic pulmonary diseases and dialysis., Results: Between October 2007 and December 2008 a total of 644 consecutively admitted patients were enrolled in the study. The mean age was 67.6 ± 12.3 years, the mean inpatient stay before admission was 45.8 ± 34.9 days and the mean duration of mechanical ventilation before admission to the unit was 38.1 ± 28.7 days. The mean APACHE II score was 19.0 ± 7.2, 68 % of the patients were male, 98.6  % had a tracheotomy tube, 30.9  % had a history of chronic pulmonary disease and 13.7  % required dialysis. Reasons for initiating ventilation were cerebral 33.1  %, pulmonary 28.7  %, cardiovascular 31.5  %, neuropathic 2.8 %, myopathic 0.9 %, spinal cord injuries 1.9 % and 1.1  % were unclear. Weaning was successful in 77.3 % (498 patients) of all cases with a mean duration of 22.0 ± 33.9 days. Of those successfully weaned, a total of 85.9 % (n = 428) were weaned according to the standard protocol. The weaning process was also shorter (20.8 ± 35.6 versus 29.0 ± 19.9 days) for those patients weaned according to the protocol compared to those patients where the protocol failed. Protocol failure was normally due to complications during the weaning process. Among the patients where the protocol failed, chronic pulmonary disease (41.4 versus 28.3 %; p < 0.02), a longer duration of ventilation (42.3 ± 22.8 versus 35.9 ± 25.3 days; p < 0.01) and a longer in-hospital stay (52.7 ± 41.4 versus 42.4 ± 30.1 days; p < 0.01) prior to admission were significantly more common. A total of 23.0  % (n = 148) of the patients died and 9.8 % (n = 63) of the patients were discharged into a home care ventilation program. Chronic pulmonary disease and the duration of inpatient stay prior to admission were predictors of weaning failure. The APACHE II score, age and acute renal failure with concomitant need for dialysis were the factors best predicting mortality., Conclusions: The majority of patients receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation can be successfully weaned using a standardized protocol. Failures of standardized weaning per protocol occurred most often in patients with chronic pulmonary disease and following longer inpatient stay. These patients also had a higher risk of final weaning failure.

Background: Weight bearing asymmetry is common in patients with neurological conditions, and recent advances in gaming technology have produced force platforms that are suitable for use in a clinical setting. The aim of this research is to determine whether commercially-available Wii Balance Boards with customized software providing real-time feedback could be used in a clinical setting to evaluate and improve weight-bearing asymmetry in people with various neurological conditions., Methods: Twenty participants (age = 43.25 ± 19.37 years) receiving physiotherapy as a result of a neurological condition performed three trials each of two tasks (static standing and sit-to-stand) with and without visual feedback. Vertical forces were measured using available Wii Balance Boards coupled with customized software that displayed visual feedback in real-time. Primary outcome measures included weight-bearing asymmetry as a percentage of body mass, peak force symmetry index, and a visual analogue scale score rating self-perceived level of asymmetry., Results: Weight-bearing asymmetry during the static balance task was significantly reduced (Z = -2.912, p = 0.004, ES = 0.65) with visual feedback. There was no significant difference (Z = -0.336, p = 0.737) with visual feedback for the dynamic task, however subgroup analysis indicated that those with higher weight-bearing asymmetry responded the most to feedback. Correlation analysis revealed little or no relationship between participant perception of weight-bearing asymmetry and the results for the static or dynamic balance task (Spearman's rho: ρ = 0.138, p = 0.561 and ρ = 0.018, ρ =0.940 respectively)., Conclusions: These findings suggest that weight-bearing asymmetry can be reduced during static tasks in patients with neurological conditions using inexpensive commercially-available Wii Balance Boards coupled with customized visual feedback software. Further research is needed to determine whether real-time visual feedback is appropriate for reducing dynamic weight-bearing asymmetry, whether improvements result in improved physical function, and how cognitive and physical impairments influence the patient's ability to respond to treatment.

Objectives: To estimate and compare the costs of informal and formal care provided to adults with long term neurological conditions and to identify characteristics associated with these costs., Design: Cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey., Participants: Family carers of 282 adults with sudden onset, progressive and stable/intermittent conditions were recruited through UK-wide voluntary organisations and neuroscience centres., Methods: Carers provided demographic and condition specific information about the adults cared for. Informal care was measured with the Caregiver Activity Survey and formal service use with the Client Service Receipt Inventory. Costs were calculated and regression analyses identified demographic and clinical characteristics associated with cost., Results: Annual informal care costs mean £82,620 (standard deviation 58,493) were 4 times higher than formal costs mean £18,117 (standard deviation 28,990). Caring for adults with sudden onset conditions and hidden/mixed impairments were both significantly associated with informal costs. Healthcare costs were significantly associated with having a sudden onset condition, greater dependency in activities of daily living and longer condition duration. Greater dependency was significantly associated with increased social care costs., Conclusions: The cost of caring for adults with long term neurological conditions is largely borne by families. Both health and social costs are higher for more dependent patients, endorsing the importance of developing specialist rehabilitation services that reduce dependency.

Unlabelled: THE AIM OF THE STUDY was evaluation effects of rehabilitation in patients with consequences of neurological diseases., Material and Methods: The study was conducted in the hospital department of rehabilitation. The study involved group of 30 patients consisting of 12 men aged from 48 to 76 years (mean age 64.3 +/- 7.9), and 18 women aged from 45 to 82 years (mean age 65.4 +/- 13,2). These were patients mostly after stroke, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease enrolled in rehabilitation. TESTS were performed before and after 21 days rehabilitation, using the following scales and ratings: Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL), Scale Barthel, test Tinetti, Expanded "Get-Up-and-Go" Test (ETGUG) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). RESULTS. In men, the average number of points in the scale of ADL, IADL, Barthel increased statistically significant, the results obtained in the test Tinetti, ETGUG, GSD were changed not significant statistically. In women, the average number of points in the IADL scale, Barthel scale and GDS increased, and the test ETGUG were reduced, all statistically significant. The results of the scale ADL and test Tinetti, improved statistically not significant. CONCLUSIONS. The physical rehabilitation in patients with neurological consequences had a positive impact on the ability to perform simple and complex activities of daily living, physical and mental condition., Tests: ADL, IADL, Barthel scale, GDS, test Tinetti and ETGUG can be used for evaluation of rehabilitation results.

Objectives: Falls are an important cause of morbidity in older adults. Equine-assisted activities including therapeutic riding (TR) benefit balance and neuromuscular control in patients with neurological disabilities but have not been systematically studied in older adults at greater risk for falls due to balance deficits. The effect of an 8-week TR program on measures of balance and quality of life in community-dwelling older adults with established balance deficits was evaluated., Design: This was a pretest-post-test single-group trial of a TR program on measures of balance and quality of life., Setting: The study was conducted at a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International Premier riding center., Subjects: The subjects comprised 9 adults (5 female, 4 males) with a mean age 76.4 years (range 71-83 years)., Interventions: This included an 8-week observation period followed by an 8-week TR program consisting of 1 hour per week of supervised horseback riding and an 8-week follow-up period. SUBJECTS received balance testing at weeks 0, 8, 16, and 24 using the Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale (FABS), and quality of life was measured at weeks 8 and 16 using the Rand SF (short form) 36 quality-of-life measure., Outcome Measures: OUTCOME MEASURES were change in the FABS and Rand SF 36., Results: There was no significant difference in balance scores between the start and end of the observation period. There was a significant improvement in the balance score and perception of general health from the start to the end of the intervention period, and no significant difference between the end of the intervention and the end of study, suggesting that improvements may have been sustained., Conclusions: TR is a safe activity for older adults with mild to moderate balance deficits and leads to both improvements in balance and quality of life. Longer and larger studies to assess the benefit of equine-assisted activities on improvements in balance and reduction in fall risk are needed.

Assistive behavior and inherent compliance are assumed to be the essential properties for effective robot-assisted therapy in neurological as well as in orthopedic rehabilitation. This paper presents two adaptive model-based assistive controllers for pneumatic direct driven soft rehabilitation robots that are based on separated models of the soft-robot and the patient's extremity, in order to take into account the individual patient's behavior, effort and ability during control, what is assumed to be essential to relearn lost motor functions in neurological and facilitate muscle reconstruction in orthopedic rehabilitation. The high inherent compliance of soft-actuators allows for a general human-robot interaction and provides the base for effective and dependable assistive control. An inverse model of the soft-robot with estimated parameters is used to achieve robot transparency during treatment and inverse adaptive models of the individual patient's extremity allow the controllers to learn on-line the individual patient's behavior and effort and react in a way that assist the patient only as much as needed. The effectiveness of the controllers is evaluated with unimpaired subjects using a first prototype of a soft-robot for elbow training. Advantages and disadvantages of both controllers are analyzed and discussed.

Rehabilitation robots may be used to accurately measure the mechanical impedance of the human arm in order to quantitatively assess the motor function of a patient undergoing neurorehabilitation therapy. However, the high cost of these robotic systems and their required sensors has posed a barrier to widespread clinical use. We present a technique to measure the mechanical impedance of the human arm without the need for a physical force sensor to measure human-robot interaction forces. Instead, these forces are accurately estimated by a virtual sensor that incorporates the robot's kinematics and dynamics, along with acceleration measurements from an inexpensive accelerometer. The identification techniques are validated on a mass-spring system of known impedance and are subsequently applied to data collected from the human arm.

Purpose: We follow-up on the experience started 3 years ago with the introduction in a pediatric neurorehabilitation hospital of an ICF-CY based form for rehabilitation projecting/programming, by probing the impact that this process had on stakeholders to establish its long term cost/benefit ratio., Methods: Two hundred and two rehabilitation projects/programs forms for children with various health conditions admitted for intensive rehabilitation were completed in 36 months. Assessment was carried out by (i) evaluating the compliance with the new process design, (ii) assessing the resource consumption and (iii) appraising the perceived change in terms of added quality. A structured questionnaire built by clustering statements about added quality determinants in rehabilitation expressed by team members and families, explored the perceived change in the rehabilitation process associated with the introduced form with a 0-5 Likert-type scaling., Results: (i) Most projects/programs forms were filled appropriately, allowing the link of functional problems, objectives, rehabilitation activities, and outcome indicators. (ii) No additional resources were needed to implement the process. (iii) Questionnaire scores were 3.25 SD 0.2 for team members and 4.05 SD 0.2 for families, showing moderate to relevant appreciation in particular by families., Conclusions: The results confirmed the feasibility of ICF implementation in the clinical setting. ICF based project/program was appreciated by both team members and caregivers as adding quality to the rehabilitation process. These results further encourage the implementation of ICF based tools in the clinical sector.

Land-based exercise is often difficult for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have coexisting obesity or musculoskeletal or neurological conditions. This randomised controlled trial aimed to determine the effectiveness of water-based exercise training in improving exercise capacity and quality of life compared to land-based exercise training and control (no exercise) in people with COPD and physical comorbidities. Participants referred to pulmonary rehabilitation were randomly allocated to a water-based exercise, land-based exercise or the control group. The two exercise groups trained for 8 weeks, completing three sessions per week. 45 out of 53 participants (mean ± SD age 72 ± 9 years; forced expiratory volume in 1 s 59 ± 15% predicted) completed the study. Compared to controls, water-based exercise training significantly increased 6-min walking distance, incremental and endurance shuttle walk distances, and improved Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRDQ) dyspnoea and fatigue. Compared to land-based exercise training, water-based exercise training significantly increased incremental shuttle walk distance (mean difference 39 m, 95% CI 5-72 m), endurance shuttle walk distance (mean difference 228 m, 95% CI 19-438 m) and improved CRDQ fatigue. Water-based exercise training was significantly more effective than land-based exercise training and control in increasing peak and endurance exercise capacity and improving aspects of quality of life in people with COPD and physical comorbidities.

The length of stay in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation after an injury or illness has declined in recent years, exposing those with newly acquired neurologic disability to a risk of significant postrehabilitation health decline. Following a short stay in outpatient rehabilitation, individuals with neurologic disability have few, if any, options to continue their physical recovery after discharge, thus further increasing their risk for functional decline and secondary conditions. Professionals who work in community-based fitness facilities have the potential to assist therapists in extending the recovery process and preventing this decline. The focus of this article was to address a conceptual framework for better understanding how rehabilitation and health/fitness professionals can work together to help with this growing need. To that end, the antecedents to and effects of postrehabilitation health decline are discussed, followed by the introduction of a theoretical model illustrating a therapist-to-trainer system that facilitates the use of community-based fitness facilities by individuals with neurologic disabilities to continue their recovery postrehabilitation. Finally, a thorough description of an exemplary existing community-based inclusive fitness program is presented, followed by examples of select disability groups using these programs for continued recovery.Video Abstract available (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A45) for more insights from the authors.

We have read several publications of great authority on the neurological profession in the last two years in which were expressed assessments of the current situation combined with opinions about neurology and the necessity to reorganize neurological patient care. These articles took up the question of neurorehabilitation too. The authors, who on a daily basis, deal with the rehabilitation of people with disabilities as a consequence of neurological conditions, summarize some important definitions of rehabilitation medicine and the present system of neurological rehabilitation, as it is defined by the rehabilitation profession.

Parkinson Disease (PD) and Huntington Disease (HD) are degenerative neurological diseases, which can result in impairments and activity limitations affecting the upper extremities from early in the disease process. The progressive nature of these diseases poses unique challenges for therapists aiming to effectively maximize physical functioning and minimize participation restrictions in these patient groups. Research is underway in both diseases to develop effective disease-modifying agents and pharmacological interventions, as well as mobility-focused rehabilitation protocols. Rehabilitation, and in particular task-specific interventions, has the potential to influence the upper extremity functional abilities of patients with these degenerative conditions. However to date, investigations of interventions specifically addressing upper extremity function have been limited in both PD, and in particular HD. In this paper, we provide an update of the known pathological features of PD and HD as they relate to upper extremity function. We further review the available literature on the use of outcome measures, and the clinical management of upper extremity function in both conditions. Due to the currently limited evidence base in both diseases, we recommend utilization of a clinical management framework specific for degenerative conditions that can serve as a guideline for disease management., (Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Conventionally, the practice of neurosurgery has been characterized by the removal of pathology, congenital or acquired. The emerging complement to the removal of pathology is surgery for the specific purpose of restoration of function. Advents in neuroscience, technology, and the understanding of neural circuitry are creating opportunities to intervene in disease processes in a reparative manner, thereby advancing toward the long-sought-after concept of neurorestoration. Approaching the issue of neurorestoration from a biomedical engineering perspective is the rapidly growing arena of implantable devices. Implantable devices are becoming more common in medicine and are making significant advancements to improve a patient's functional outcome. Devices such as deep brain stimulators, vagus nerve stimulators, and spinal cord stimulators are now becoming more commonplace in neurosurgery as we utilize our understanding of the nervous system to interpret neural activity and restore function. One of the most exciting prospects in neurosurgery is the technologically driven field of brain-machine interface, also known as brain-computer interface, or neuroprosthetics. The successful development of this technology will have far-reaching implications for patients suffering from a great number of diseases, including but not limited to spinal cord injury, paralysis, stroke, or loss of limb. This article provides an overview of the issues related to neurorestoration using implantable devices with a specific focus on brain-machine interface technology., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Regaining one's ability to walk is of great importance for neurological patients and is a major goal of all rehabilitation programs. Treating neurological patients in the acute phase after the event is technically difficult because of their motor weakness and balance disturbances. Based on studies in spinalized animals, a novel locomotor training that incorporates high repetitions of task-oriented practice by the use of body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) was developed to overcome these obstacles. The use of BWSTT enables early initiation of gait training, integration of weightbearing activities, stepping and balance by the use of a task-specific approach, and a symmetrical gait pattern. However, despite the theoretical potential of BWSTT to become an invaluable therapeutic tool, its effect on walking outcomes was disappointing when compared with conventional training of the same duration. To facilitate the deLivery of BWSTT, a motorized robotic driven gait orthosis (RBWSTT) was recently developed. It has many advantages over the conventional method, including less effort for the physiotherapists, longer session duration, more physiological and reproducible gait patterns, and the possibility of measuring a patient's performances. Several studies have been conducted using RBWSTT in patients after stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases. Although some of the results were encouraging, there is still uncertainty regarding proper patient selection, timing and protocol for RBWTT treatment following neurological diseases. More large randomized controlled studies are needed in order to answer these questions.

Magnetic stimulation has called the attention of neuroscientists and the public due to the possibility to stimulate and "control" the nervous system in a non-invasive way. It has helped to make more accurate diagnosis, and apply more effective treatments and rehabilitation protocols in several diseases that affect the nervous system. Likewise, this novel tool has increased our knowledge about complex neural behavior, its connections as well as its plastic modulation. Magnetic stimulation applied in simple or paired-pulse protocols is a useful alternative in the diagnosis of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, epilepsy, dystonia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cerebrovascular disease, and sleep disorders. From the therapeutic perspective, magnetic stimulation applied repetitively has been found useful, with different degrees of efficacy, in treating resistant depression, tinnitus, psychogenic dysphonia, Alzheimer disease, autism, Parkinson disease, dystonia, stroke, epilepsy, generalized anxiety as well as post traumatic stress disorder, auditory hallucinations, chronic pain, aphasias, obsessive-compulsive disorders, L-dopa induced dyskynesia, mania and Rasmussen syndrome, among others. The potential of magnetic stimulation in neurorehabilitation is outstanding, with excellent range of safety and, in practical terms, without side effects.

Background and Purpose: Although aerobic exercise (AE) has been shown to improve aerobic capacity and reduce morbidity in neurological populations, its application is challenging. The purpose of this study was to survey Canadian physical therapists practicing in adult neurorehabilitation regarding the use of AE in clinical practice., Methods: Members of the Neurosciences Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association were invited to participate in a Web-based survey., Results: Response rate was 36% (N = 155) with every Canadian province represented. The majority of respondents were females in full-time practice for more than 15 years. The majority (88%) agreed/strongly agreed with the following: "AE should be incorporated into treatment programs of patients with neurological conditions." Although 77% prescribed AE, barriers to use included patient concerns (cardiac status, cognitive/perceptual deficits, fatigue) and operations (lack of staff, time, screening tools). The most commonly used screening tools were health records and patient responses to exercise and the least common was exercise stress tests. Overground walking and cycle ergometry were the most frequently used AE modes, and general response to exercise and patient feedback were most frequently used for determining exercise intensity and monitoring AE., Discussion and Conclusions: Respondents clearly recognized the importance of AE in neurorehabilitation. Barriers to application of AE and limitations in the use of appropriate screening and training procedures need to be addressed to advance clinical utilization of AE in neurological practice. Understanding current patterns of utilization of AE is important for the development of professional education initiatives and clinical guidelines for best practices in AE for neurological populations. Video Abstract available (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A40) for more insights from the authors.

Background: Topographical disorientation (TD) is a severe and persistent impairment of spatial orientation and navigation in familiar as well as new environments and a common consequence of brain damage. Virtual reality (VR) provides a new tool for the assessment and rehabilitation of TD. In VR training programs different degrees of active motor control over navigation may be implemented (i.e. more passive spatial navigation vs. more active). Increasing demands of active motor control may overload those visuo-spatial resources necessary for learning spatial orientation and navigation. In the present study we used a VR-based verbally-guided passive navigation training program to improve general spatial abilities in neurologic patients with spatial disorientation., Methods: Eleven neurologic patients with focal brain lesions, which showed deficits in spatial orientation, as well as 11 neurologic healthy controls performed a route finding training in a virtual environment. Participants learned and recalled different routes for navigation in a virtual city over five training sessions. Before and after VR training, general spatial abilities were assessed with standardized neuropsychological tests., Results: Route finding ability in the VR task increased over the five training sessions. Moreover, both groups improved different aspects of spatial abilities after VR training in comparison to the spatial performance before VR training., Conclusions: Verbally-guided passive navigation training in VR enhances general spatial cognition in neurologic patients with spatial disorientation as well as in healthy controls and can therefore be useful in the rehabilitation of spatial deficits associated with TD.

Background: Neurological rehabilitation after stroke lowers rates of death, dependency, and institutionalization. Little research has yet addressed the factors affecting the selection of ischemic stroke patients for rehabilitative treatment., Method: The database for this study consisted of all cases of ischemic stroke (ICD-10 code I63) that occurred in 2010 and 2011 in the neurological inpatient care facilities participating in the "Stroke Register Northwest Germany" quality assurance project. A primary target group for rehabilitation was defined a priori (Barthel Index at discharge ≤ 65, no premorbid nursing dependency, no transfer to another acute-care hospital after initial treatment of stroke). Among these patients, factors potentially affecting the provision of rehabilitative treatment were studied with binary logistic regression and multilevel logistic regression., Results: There were 96 955 cases of ischemic stroke in the 127 participating hospitals. 40.8% and 11.4% of these patients underwent neurological and geriatric rehabilitation, respectively. The primary target group for rehabilitation contained 14 486 patients, 14.9% of whom underwent no rehabilitation after their acute treatment. The chances of undergoing subsequent rehabilitation were higher for patients with paresis and dysarthria on admission. Female sex, older age, impaired consciousness at admission, prior history of stroke, and lack of counseling by the hospital social services were all associated with a lower probability of undergoing rehabilitation., Conclusion: In this study, 54.4% of all ischemic stroke patients and 85.1% of all patients in a primary target group for rehabilitation that was defined a priori underwent rehabilitation after acute care for stroke. Older patients and those who had had a previous stroke were less likely to undergo rehabilitation. Counseling by hospital social services increased the probability of rehabilitation. The potential exclusion of stroke patients from rehabilitation because of old age should be critically examined in every relevant case.

Background: Studies in neurological rehabilitation have been undertaken in recent years to improve knowledge transfer. The manager is an important player in the health care system, yet few studies have examined their role in knowledge transfer. The main objective was to explore the importance of knowledge transfer and improving practices from the viewpoint of managers of neurological rehabilitation programs., Methods: An exploratory qualitative research design was used. Three case studies were conducted by way of semi-structured one-on-one interviews with neurological rehabilitation program managers. To be eligible, managers had to give their informed consent and have had responsibilities directly related to the coordination of clinicians working in neurological rehabilitation for at least a year. Data collected were recorded and transcribed. Each interview was synthesized and its content was carefully analysed., Results: The three managers' experience in neurology varied from a year to several decades. They believe that knowledge transfer is important but it appears to be less of a priority because of their numerous other responsibilities. Participants said they perceived their role in this process as being a coach, facilitator, motivator, organizer, guide and ambassador. They mentioned reacting to the needs expressed by the clinicians but, when asked, said they would like to be more proactive and structured in their approach., Conclusions: This study points up the lack of organizational structure fostering uniform knowledge translation across all clinicians, although the managers expect it to happen in the near future or would like to see it in an ideal world., (© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Several new approaches for treatment of Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders are currently under investigation, including the use of rehabilitation training strategies, which are often combined with electrical and/or pharmacological modulation of spinal locomotor circuitries. While these approaches show great promise in the laboratory setting, there still exists a large gap in knowledge on how to transfer these treatments to daily clinical use. This thematic series presents a cross section of cutting edge approaches with the goal of transferring basic neuroscience principles from the laboratory to the proverbial "bedside".

Proprioception, or kinesthesia, is the sense of orientation responsible for perception of body and relative position of its parts. Kinaesthesia is received by receptors located in muscles and tendons. In this study a set of proprioception developing exercises was presented. Proprioception should be restored in case of musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. Proprioception training can also be used as a prophylaxis before starting various sporting activities. Proprioception developing exercises have significant meaning for the elderly, who are at risk of balance disorders. These exercises help developing motor memory and at the same time protect from falls.

Constraint-Induced Movement therapy or CI therapy is an approach to physical rehabilitation elaborated from basic neuroscience and behavioral research with primates. The application of the CI therapy protocol to humans began with the upper extremity after stroke and was then modified and extended to cerebral palsy in young children, traumatic brain injury, and multiple sclerosis. A form of CI therapy was developed for the lower extremities and has been used effectively after stroke, spinal cord injury, fractured hip, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy. Adaptations of the CI therapy paradigm have also been developed for aphasia, focal hand dystonia in musicians, and phantom limb pain. Human and animal studies using a variety of methods provide evidence that CI therapy produces marked neuroplastic changes in the structure and function of the CNS. Moreover, these changes appear to be important for the intervention's therapeutic effect., (© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Non-invasive brain stimulation has shown its potential to modulate brain plasticity in humans. Endeavour has been made to utilize brain stimulation in neurological diseases to enhance adaptive processes and prevent potential maladaptive ones. In stroke for instance both sensorimotor and higher cognitive impairment, such as aphasia and neglect, has been addressed to facilitate functional recovery. In Parkinson's disease, brain stimulation has been evaluated to improve motor and non-motor symptoms. In the present review we provide an update of the field of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as non-invasive brain stimulation techniques to improve motor and higher cognitive functions in patients suffering from stroke and Parkinson's disease. Rather than attempting to be comprehensive in regard of the reviewed scientific field, this article may be considered as a present day's framework of the application of non-invasive brain stimulation on selected examples of common neurological diseases. At the end we will briefly discuss open controversies and future directions of the field which has to be addressed in upcoming studies. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Cognitive Enhancers'., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Over the last decade a dramatic change has occurred in the field of neurorehabilitation in motor recovery that is marked by three transitions: first, by movement away from intuitive and ideology-based approaches to evidence-based therapy practices; second, by a change from hands-on treatment of patients to hands-off coaching approaches by motor therapists, who incorporate knowledge about motor reorganization and motor learning; and, finally, by a transition from one-on-one treatments to group-oriented treatments. General rules (such as the need for repetition, feedback of results, shaping task difficulty) have been derived from the animal experimental and human behavioral literature and incorporated into the design of innovative treatment strategies that can be adapted to individual patients' needs. This chapter reviews the state of the art for most of the evidence-based motor therapy concepts in the rehabilitation of patients with motor deficits after stroke, traumatic brain injury, etc., and other conditions. Treatment approaches derived from neuromodulation techniques such as stimulation or blockage of peripheral nerves, noninvasive brain stimulation, and pharmacological means are addressed. Finally, a modular concept is proposed to define optimal therapeutic approaches according to the individual level and type of impairment., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the measurement properties of the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for manual wheelchair users version 2.1 (WheelCon-M 2.1)., Design: Cohort study., Participants: Volunteer sample of 83 community-dwelling, experienced manual wheelchair users., Methods: Participants completed the WheelCon-M 2.1 twice to assess retest reliability. Validity was assessed by evaluating hypothesized relationships between the WheelCon-M 2.1 and relevant variables. Responsiveness was assessed using the standard error of measurement (SEM) and smallest real difference (SRD)., Results: The median (interquartile range) WheelCon-M 2.1 score was 84.6 (71.3-92.0) of a possible 0-100. The one-week retest intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.84 with 95% bias-corrected and accelerated confidence intervals of 0.77-0.90. Cronbach's alpha was 0.92. Correlations ranging from rs = -0.19 (p = 0.780) to rs = 0.58 (p < 0.001) were found between the WheelCon-M 2.1 and other relevant outcome measures with all correlations being statistically significant except for age (p = 0.780) and social support (p = 0.057). A statistically significant difference was not found between the sexes (p = 0.140). The SEM and SRM were 5.9 and 16.4, respectively., Conclusions: WheelCon-M 2.1 has high internal consistency, strong retest reliability, and support for concurrent validity, construct validity and responsiveness. This new test holds promise as a clinical and research tool.

The clinical trial is essential to testing efficacy and effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. Neurorehabilitation presents unique challenges in the execution of clinical trials due to the complexity of both human interface with complex interventions and clinical/research staff interaction. Attention to key elements, recruitment, retention, treatment fidelity, and control intervention selection, contributes to successful conduct of a trial. Alternatives to the randomized controlled trial and outcome measure selection are important considerations contributing to the merit of the trial. While clinical trial outcomes contribute to the scientific evidence, their true value and impact comes in the next step, translation to clinical practice and the improvement of patient outcomes and qualify of life. Translation of evidence into practice may best be achieved via partnerships of scientists, clinicians, and administrators resulting in a dynamic interface between science and practice, the laboratory, and the clinic., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the quality of online patient education materials for rehabilitation following neurological surgery., Methods: Materials were obtained from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). After removing unnecessary formatting, the readability of each site was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level evaluations with Microsoft Office Word software., Results: The average values of the Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level were 41.5 and 11.8, respectively, which are well outside the recommended reading levels for the average American. Moreover, no online section was written below a ninth grade reading level., Conclusion: Evaluations of several websites from the NINDS, NLM, AOTA, and AAOS demonstrated that their reading levels were higher than that of the average American. Improved readability might be beneficial for patient education. Ultimately, increased patient comprehension may correlate to positive clinical outcomes.

Restoration of brain function was long thought to be impossible. However, as the publications in the journal Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience (RNN) for more than 20 years attest, clinically useful improvement can be achieved after damage or diseases of the brain, the retina, and the peripheral nervous system. By reviewing both pre-clinical studies and clinical work, we explore what advancements can be made today and what to expect going forward. For example, in the last few years we have seen a clinical focus in the area of non-invasive brain stimulations and rehabilitation training trials. In basic animal research multi-modal approaches have been presented to restore brain function with a combination of different treatments. We think that this is an exciting time in the area of restoration of brain function with many new strategies aimed at helping recovering their impaired neurological functions.

Neurorehabilitation is based on the assumption that motor learning contributes to motor recovery after injury. However, little is known about how learning itself is affected by brain injury, how learning mechanisms interact with spontaneous biological recovery, and how best to incorporate learning principles into rehabilitation training protocols. Here we distinguish between two types of motor learning, adaptation and skill acquisition, and discuss how they relate to neurorehabilitation. Functional recovery can occur through resolution of impairment (reacquisition of premorbid movement patterns) and through compensation (use of alternative movements or effectors to accomplish the same goal); both these forms of recovery respond to training protocols. The emphasis in current neurorehabilitation practice is on the rapid establishment of independence in activities of daily living through compensatory strategies, rather than on the reduction of impairment. Animal models, however, show that after focal ischemic damage there is a brief, approximately 3-4-week, window of heightened plasticity, which in combination with training protocols leads to large gains in motor function. Analogously, almost all recovery from impairment in humans occurs in the first 3 months after stroke, which suggests that targeting impairment in this time-window with intense motor learning protocols could lead to gains in function that are comparable in terms of effect size to those seen in animal models., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Brain-machine interface (BMI) is a new technology to receive input from the brain which is translated to operate a computer or other external device in real time. After significant progress during the recent 10 years, this technology is now very close to the clinical use to restore neural functions of patients with severe neurologic impairment. This technology is also a strong tool to investigate the mode of neuro-signal processing in the brain and to understand the mechanism of neural dysfunction which leads to the development of novel neurotechnology for the treatment of various sorts of neurological disorders.

Patients with neurologic illness or injury benefit from early interventions to increase physical activity and mobility, but they also have special needs related to hemodynamic stability and intracranial pressure dynamics. After brain injury, moving paralyzed limbs--even passively--helps promote neural plasticity, "rerouting" signals around the injured area and forming new connections, resulting in improved functional recovery. Neurologic deficits may impede a patient's functional and language abilities, so a mobility program must take into account the need for assistive devices, communication strategies, and additional personnel. Because cerebral autoregulation may be impaired, stability of blood pressure and intracranial pressure must be considered when planning mobility activities. The clinical team must consider the full spectrum of mobility for the neuroscience patient, from having the bed in the chair position for a comatose patient to ambulation of the patient with ventriculostomy whose intracranial pressure will tolerate having drainage clamped for a short period of time. Those involved with mobility need to understand the patient's disease process, the implications of increasing activity levels, and the monitoring required during activity.

Neurorehabilitation is an emerging field driven by developments in neuroscience and biomedical engineering. Most patients that require neurorehabilitation have had a stroke, but other diseases of the brain, spinal cord, or nerves can also be alleviated. Modern therapies in neurorehabilitation focus on reducing impairment and improving function in daily life. As compared with acute care medicine, the clinical evidence for most neurorehabilitative treatments (modern or conventional) is sparse. Clinical trials support constraint-induced movement therapy for the arm and aerobic treadmill training for walking, both high-intensity interventions requiring therapist time (i.e., cost) and patient motivation. Promising approaches for the future include robotic training, telerehabilitation at the patient’s home, and supportive therapies that promote motivation and compliance. It is argued that a better understanding of the neuroscience of recovery together with results from small-scale and well-focused clinical experiments are necessary to design optimal interventions for specific target groups of patients.

In Germany a number of patients who are suffering from acquired brain injury and chronic neurological disability are either undersupplied or exposed to inappropriate care in their social environment. The number of these patients is increasing due to the changes in the procedures of care and due to demographic factors. While acute medical care and early rehabilitative treatment is accessible throughout the German health care system the necessary multimodal and competent care is rare or absent in the social participative sites such as life and occupational environments of the patients. The complex impairment of the brain, the central organ for sensorial, executive and other cognitive functions of human beings, renders the affected patient an exception in the system of medical and social care - this has only inadequately been considered in the past. The authors explain the necessity to disclose the status of a "human-with acquired-brain damage (Mensch-mit-erworbener-Hirnschädigung, MeH)" explicitly as severely disabled. The paper recommends a number of structural and procedural elements that have proven to overcome the insufficient or inappropriate support in integrating the patients suffering from acquired brain injury and chronic neurological disability in their social environment as well as for a demand-focused support with sustainable rehabilitative and ambulant follow-up procedures. Comparisons with other developed health care systems and international guidelines show that with organizing of early-supported-discharge, community-ambulation, shared-care and community-based-rehabilitation these problems have long since been identified elsewhere. Community-based and resident-oriented concepts have already been systematically implemented. In order to achieve the necessary support for the individual patient, a nation-wide development is necessary in Germany to perform the principles of the German social code and the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of the United Nations: Goals of rehabilitation have to be more than functional treatment. Activation of the patient and supporting their coping and adaptive processes are necessary to achieve social participation and (re)integration into the community and in occupational life as implied by the standards of our society. Important elements of these are (1) identification of the individual patient and his/her burden during acute phase treatment or early rehabilitation (defined red-flag), (2) an individual clinical reasoning and planning of interventions and help, (3) general acceptance of the defined demands by all "players" in medical and social networks, (4) coordination and supervision of the medical and social interventions and of the assistive processes necessary in the individual environment. What seems to be needed is (5) systematic orientation to the goal of individual social participation at all levels of support, (6) cross linking, cooperation and development of the existing medical and social structures on site, (7) expansion of the legal framework and (7a) especially control of the implementation of the existing rights of social benefits and (7b) surveillance (transparency and quality management not only in the area of caregivers but also for the administration of social insurances!). The recommendations of the authors integrate systematically into the phase model of neurorehabilitation (VDR/BAR) in Germany. The focus of this work is the needs-appropriate programming of phase E, i. e., the transition between inpatient and outpatient care, between the clinical facility-oriented and the community-based (domicile-oriented, occupational-oriented) sectors, between welfare and independency., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Purpose of Review: Knowledge translation is a growing area of specialisation. This review summarises the field perspectives and highlights recent work that has particular relevance to neurological rehabilitation., Recent Findings: Research in knowledge translation can usefully be organised into three overlapping perspectives, namely a linear transfer of codified knowledge, a social interaction perspective, or a multilevel implementation perspective that incorporates contextual factors. Although systematic reviews remain foundational in supporting knowledge translation, they often lack structured updating and can be problematic to implement in complex cases. Knowledge brokers play an important role in evidence use; these may be managers or administrators of rehabilitation services. Organisational support that sustains and structures knowledge brokering roles has been found lacking. Numerous contextual factors influence knowledge translation, including leadership, fidelity monitoring, and divergent stakeholder perspectives. Integrative frameworks have been developed that consolidate the multiple contingencies., Summary: Knowledge translation is a complex process with an incomplete knowledge base; its uniprofessional focus is particularly limiting for neurological rehabilitation. Developing accessible systematic reviews remains central, as well as supporting knowledge brokers, being aware of stakeholder absorptive capacity in developing translational strategies and using integrative frameworks to guide knowledge translation for complex interventions.

Purpose of Review: The fields of clinical genetics and pharmacogenetics are rapidly expanding. Genetic factors have numerous associations with injury and with treatment effects in the setting of neural plasticity and recovery., Recent Findings: Evidence is reviewed that established genetic variants, as well as some more recently described variants, are related to outcome after neural injury and in some cases are useful for predicting clinical course. In many cases, the interaction of genetics with clinical factors such as experience and therapy may be important. As an extension of this, genetic factors have been associated with differential response to a number of forms of therapy, including pharmacological, brain stimulation, psychotherapy, and meditation. Genetic variation might also have a significant effect on plasticity and recovery through key covariates such as depression or stress. A key point is that genetic associations might be most accurately identified when studied in relation to distinct forms of a disorder rather than in relation to broad clinical syndromes., Summary: Understanding genetic variation gives clinicians a biological signal that could be used to predict who is most likely to recover from neural injury, to choose the optimal treatment for a patient, or to supplement rehabilitation therapy.

A new intrinsically compliant robotic orthosis powered by pneumatic muscle actuators (PMA) was developed for treadmill training of neurologically impaired subjects. The robotic orthosis has hip and knee sagittal plane rotations actuated by antagonistic configuration of PMA. The orthosis has passive mechanisms to allow vertical and lateral translations of the trunk and a passive hip abduction/adduction joint. A foot lifter having a passive spring mechanism was used to ensure sufficient foot clearance during swing phase. A trajectory tracking controller was implemented to evaluate the performance of the robotic orthosis on a healthy subject. The results show that the robotic orthosis is able to perform the treadmill training task by providing sufficient torques to achieve physiological gait patterns and a realistic stepping experience. The orthosis is a new addition to the rapidly advancing field of robotic orthoses for treadmill training., (Copyright © 2012 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Malnutrition in hospitalised patients is often underestimated. The present study aimed to evaluate the validity of a questionnaire for the semi-quantitative evaluation of food intake compared to weighed records in patients who were hospitalised for the rehabilitation of neurological disorders., Methods: Food intake at breakfast, lunch and dinner was evaluated in 319 in-patients, by weighing the meals and the residuals, and using a semi-quantitative questionnaire, during five consecutive days. The questionnaire represented, for each offered food, the pictures of the nonconsumed quantities. The consumption of each food was determined by weighing foods that were served and the residuals after the meal. As a measure of validity of the questionnaire, the agreement over chance (kappa statistic) between the questionnaire and the weight was calculated. Considering the weight as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire in detecting patients who consumed <50% or 75% of the meals was calculated., Results: The agreement between the two measures was satisfactory (κ ≥ 0.70) or almost satisfactory (0.60 < κ < 0.70) for most of the foods, with the exception of fruit and the first course at dinner. The sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire in detecting consumers of <50% or 75% of the offered foods were always >80%, except for bread and first course, as well as fruit at dinner., Conclusions: The present study shows that this semi-quantitative questionnaire on food consumption reproduces with sufficient precision the measures obtained by weighing. The questionnaire appears also to be a valid and suitable instrument for the identification of patients with poor food intake in a neurorehabilitation hospital., (© 2012 The Authors Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics © 2012 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.)

The current article deals with the main methods of development of the rehabilitation system for wounded during the late hospital stage. The problems of specialized rehabilitation for injured, patients of cardiology and neurology and the application of the newest rehabilitation techniques used to optimize medical aid in order to promote professional qualities recovery experience are also considered.

Background/objective: To examine associations of patient characteristics along with treatment quantity delivered by seven clinical disciplines during inpatient spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation with outcomes at rehabilitation discharge and 1-year post-injury., Methods: Six inpatient SCI rehabilitation centers enrolled 1376 patients during the 5-year SCIRehab study. Clinicians delivering standard care documented details of treatment. Outcome data were derived from SCI Model Systems Form I and II and a project-specific interview conducted at approximately 1-year post-injury. Regression modeling was used to predict outcomes; models were cross-validated by examining relative shrinkage of the original model R(2) using 75% of the dataset to the R(2) for the same outcome using a validation subsample., Results: Patient characteristics are strong predictors of outcome; treatment duration adds slightly more predictive power. More time in physical therapy was associated positively with motor Functional Independence Measure at discharge and the 1-year anniversary, CHART Physical Independence, Social Integration, and Mobility dimensions, and smaller likelihood of rehospitalization after discharge and reporting of pressure ulcer at the interview. More time in therapeutic recreation also had multiple similar positive associations. Time spent in other disciplines had fewer and mixed relationships. Seven models validated well, two validated moderately well, and four validated poorly., Conclusion: Patient characteristics explain a large proportion of variation in multiple outcomes after inpatient rehabilitation. The total amount of treatment received during rehabilitation from each of seven disciplines explains little additional variance. Reasons for this and the phenomenon that sometimes more hours of service predict poorer outcome, need additional study. Note: This is the first of nine articles in the SCIRehab series.

Background: Many contemporary systems for neurorehabilitation utilize 3D virtual environments (VEs) that allow for training patients' hand or arm movements. In the current paper we comparatively test the effectiveness of two characteristics of VEs in rehabilitation training when utilizing a 3D haptic interaction device: Stereo Visualization (monoscopic vs stereoscopic image presentation) and Graphic Environment (2.5D vs 3D)., Method: An experimental study was conducted using a factorial within-subjects design. Patients (10 MS, 8 CVA) completed three tasks, each including a specific arm-movement along one of three directional axes (left-right, up-down and forward-backward)., Results: The use of stereoscopy within a virtual training environment for neurorehabilitation of CVA and MS patients is most beneficial when the task itself requires movement in depth. Further, the 2.5D environment yields the highest efficiency and accuracy in terms of patients' movements. These findings were, however, dependent on participants' stereoscopic ability., Conclusion: Despite the performance benefits of stereoscopy, our findings illustrate the non-triviality of choices of using stereoscopy, and the type of graphic environment implemented. These choices should be made with the task and target group, and even the individual patient in mind.

Background: A significant proportion of patients with long-term mechanical ventilation (MV) and difficult or prolonged weaning suffer from primary or secondary neurological conditions and concomitant functional disorders, in addition to respiratory problems. Therefore, these patients are treated in neurological weaning departments., Material and Methods: Using a questionnaire members of the German Working Group for early neurorehabilitation were interviewed with respect to the structure of weaning facilities, weaning strategies, patient characteristics and treatment outcome of patients admitted for weaning in 2009., Results: In the year 2009 a total of 1,486 patients were admitted to 7 participating neurological weaning units. The primary diagnosis was a neurological condition in 97.5% of the patients. In 62.9% of the patients the neurological condition was considered to be primarily responsible for the MV, 22.8% demonstrated pulmonary factors and for 3.0% a cardiac condition was determined to be decisive. In 5.0% of the patients it was not possible to ascertain a single cause or factor. Weaning was successful in 69.8% of all cases, 64.9% (965 patients) were released from the facility without MV, 274 patients (18.4%) were released with MV, 61.3% of these (168 patients) were referred to other rehabilitation facilities or into the care of the family physician and 38.7% (106 patients) were transferred to other hospitals due to special medical problems. The total mortality rate was 16.6% (247 patients deceased)., Conclusions: In this first comprehensive evaluation of German neurological weaning centers for patients with long-term MV, structures and treatment outcomes were compared with recent results from the literature.