Article
Neurosciences
Mariacristina Siotto, Marco Germanotta, Massimo Santoro, Valeria Cipollini, Giulia Guardati, Dionysia Papadopoulou, Elisa Bray, Alessia Mastrorosa, Irene Aprile
Summary: A pilot study involving 30 stroke patients found that serotonin levels significantly decreased after rehabilitation treatment, and this decrease was associated with worsened cognitive performance.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Daniel S. Marin-Medina, Paula A. Arenas-Vargas, Juan C. Arias-Botero, Manuela Gomez-Vasquez, Manuel F. Jaramillo-Lopez, Jorge M. Gaspar-Toro
Summary: After a stroke, neural plasticity mechanisms can be activated for significant recovery. Rehabilitation therapies aim to restore tissue and reorganize neural connections. New technologies such as brain-computer interfaces, robot-assisted and virtual reality therapies, brain stimulation, and cell therapies have emerged as promising options for better functional outcomes.
NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Alison M. Cogan, Jennifer A. Weaver, Leslie F. Davidson, Nikolai Khromouchkine, Trudy Mallinson
Summary: This study aimed to describe the association between therapy minutes per length of stay (LOS) day and cognitive recovery in stroke patients receiving rehabilitation services in inpatient post-acute care facilities. Results showed that higher-intensity occupational therapy services were associated with better cognitive outcome at discharge, emphasizing the importance of tailoring therapy amount and type to meet individual patient needs.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Sandra Pusil, Lucia Torres-Simon, Brenda Chino, Maria Eugenia Lopez, Leonides Canuet, Alvaro Bilbao, Fernando Maestu, Nuria Paul
Summary: Stroke is a major cause of death globally, resulting in cognitive and physical deficits. Neuropsychological rehabilitation plays a significant role in the recovery process, which is related to the enhancement of functional connectivity.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Shaozhen Ji, Hong Sun, Xianglan Jin, Baoxin Chen, Jing Zhou, Jiayi Zhao, Xiao Liang, Wei Shen, Yunling Zhang, Piu Chan
Summary: This study investigated cognitive outcomes in patients with post-stroke subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) within 1 year after stroke and identified factors associated with cognitive recovery. It found that some patients experienced cognitive recovery after stroke, but those with a higher education level reporting SCC earlier had poorer cognitive recovery. Male sex, higher baseline MoCA scores, coffee intake, and thalamus lesions appeared to independently predict cognitive recovery.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Paloma E. Fava-Felix, Silvia R. C. Bonome-Vanzelli, Fabiana S. Ribeiro, Flavia H. Santos
Summary: This review investigates the cognitive, functional, and behavioral effects of computerized rehabilitation in stroke patients and considers cognitive reserve proxies. The findings suggest that combining computerized cognitive training with education as a cognitive reserve proxy can improve cognitive abilities in patients.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Emily J. Dalton, Natasha A. Lannin, Bruce C. Campbell, Leonid Churilov, Kathryn S. Hayward
Summary: This study examined the generalizability of findings in upper-limb motor trials conducted early post-stroke. The results showed that key information to support the generalizability of trial findings was insufficiently reported, and broadening eligibility criteria alone may not be enough to improve trial inclusivity due to internal validity constraints.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Elizabeth R. Skidmore, Gail Eskes, Amy Brodtmann
Summary: This review provides an overview of executive function impairment among stroke survivors, including definitions, concepts, and measures. It summarizes current best evidence on executive function impairment and recovery trajectories, correlates of change over time, and emerging intervention research. The review also offers recommendations for research and clinical practices, as well as future priorities in executive function research.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Jessica M. Cassidy, Jasper Mark, Steven C. Cramer
Summary: Stroke is a major cause of disability, and predicting post-stroke recovery is challenging. Neuroimaging-based biomarkers, particularly those measuring structural and functional connectivity of the brain, have shown potential in predicting motor recovery after stroke. This review explores the use of functional neural network connectivity measurements obtained from various imaging techniques in describing and predicting post-stroke behavioral status and recovery. The authors argue for the importance of implementing a causal inference framework in stroke research to move from association to causation.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Kaloyan S. Tanev, Lydia E. Federico, Valerie J. Sydnor, Catherine L. Leveroni, Khalid Hassan, Alessandro Biffi
Summary: This case study illustrates the neuropsychiatric presentation following right occipito-temporal stroke, the value of formal and self-directed cognitive rehabilitation, the extended time required for cognitive recovery, and the brain's ability to undergo neuroplastic changes.
Article
Rehabilitation
Suzanne Perea Burns, Talya K. Fleming, Sam S. Webb, Alice Sau Han Kam, Jaimee D. P. Fielder, Grace J. Kim, Xiaolei Hu, Mary Thelander Hill, Emily A. Kringle
Summary: Health care delivery for stroke patients has been negatively impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to delays in seeking care and changes in treatment patterns. The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine has convened a task force to discuss international experiences and propose interdisciplinary approaches to address these challenges.
ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Verity Longley, Christine Hazelton, Calvin Heal, Alex Pollock, Kate Woodward-Nutt, Claire Mitchell, Gorana Pobric, Andy Vail, Audrey Bowen
Summary: The effects of non-pharmacological interventions for spatial neglect in patients following stroke remain unclear. There is insufficient evidence to support or refute any specific rehabilitation approach based on current randomized controlled trials. Future research should focus on high-quality methodological design and outcomes that are important to patients, as well as involve patient and public participation to improve the quality of research.
COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Shuk Han Chu, Xu Zhao, Ahmad Komber, Joshua Cheyne, Simiao Wu, Eileen Cowey, Mansur Kutlubaev, Gillian Mead
Summary: This study systematically reviewed and conducted a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials on pharmacological interventions for post-stroke fatigue (PSF). The results showed that pharmacological treatments were associated with lower fatigue severity at the end of treatment, but not at follow-up. However, these trials were small and had considerable risk of bias. Thus, there is insufficient evidence to support a particular pharmacological treatment for PSF, and current clinical guidelines do not require amendment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jord J. T. Vink, Eline C. C. van Lieshout, Willem M. M. Otte, Ruben P. A. van Eijk, Mirjam Kouwenhoven, Sebastiaan F. W. Neggers, H. Bart van der Worp, Johanna M. A. Visser-Meily, Rick M. M. Dijkhuizen
Summary: Inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment started within 3 weeks after stroke onset promotes upper limb motor recovery, reduces disability and dependence, and leads to earlier discharge from the rehabilitation center.
Article
Rehabilitation
Kent P. Simmonds, Zhehui Luo, Mathew Reeves
Summary: The study showed significant racial/ethnic disparities in poststroke function, with Black and Hispanic patients having lower FIM scores compared to White patients. These disparities varied by stroke subtype, with the most prominent differences observed between Black and White patients. Age was a major confounding factor for Black-White disparities, especially for patients with hemorrhagic stroke.
ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
(2021)