The Implementation Process of Two Evidence-Based Protocols: A Spatial Neglect Network Initiative.

Introduction: Spatial neglect, a neurocognitive disorder of lateralized spatial attention, is prevalent among stroke survivors especially in inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs). The ultimate goal of the project was to improve spatial neglect care in inpatient rehabilitation and trained as many OTs as possible using both tools in their regular practices as the means to achieve our overall objective. Therefore, we conducted a project aimed at implementing two evidence-based protocols, one for assessment (KF-NAP®) and the other for treatment (KF-PAT®), and share the implementation process, which included barriers and facilitators identified during and after the process, and implementation outcomes.

Feasibility of integrative games and novel therapeutic game controller for telerehabilitation of individuals chronic post-stroke living in the community.

Background: Intensive, adaptable and engaging telerehabilitation is needed to enhance recovery and maximize outcomes. Such services may be provided under early supported discharge, or later for chronic populations. A novel virtual reality game-based telerehabilitation system was designed for individuals post-stroke to enhance their bimanual upper extremity motor function, cognition, and wellbeing.

Stroke survivors over-estimate their medication self-administration (MSA) ability, predicting memory loss.

Background And Objective: Medication self-administration (MSA) may be cognitively challenging after stroke, but guidelines are currently lacking for identifying high-functioning stroke survivors who may have difficulty with this task. Complicating this matter, stroke survivors may not be aware of their cognitive problems (cognitive anosognosia) and may over-estimate their MSA competence. The authors wished to evaluate medication self-administration and MSA self-awareness in 24 consecutive acute stroke survivors undergoing inpatient rehabilitation, to determine if they would over-estimate their medication self-administration and if this predicted memory disorder.

Psychometric evaluation of neglect assessment reveals motor-exploratory predictor of functional disability in acute-stage spatial neglect.

Objective: To determine the psychometric properties of 2 neglect measures, the Behavioral Inattention Test (BIT)-conventional and the Catherine Bergego Scale (CBS), in acute spatial neglect. Spatial neglect is a failure or slowness to respond, orient, or initiate action toward contralesional stimuli, associated with functional disability that impedes stroke recovery. Early identification of specific neglect deficits may identify patients likely to experience chronic disability.

Smokers' response to combination bupropion, nicotine patch, and counseling treatment by race/ethnicity.

Background: Evidence on how to tailor nicotine dependence treatment to specific race/ethnic groups is limited. The present study investigated responses to established smoking cessation treatments among African American, Hispanic, and White adults.

Methods: Participants were 559 smokers (126 African American, 73 Hispanic, and 360 White).

A randomized trial of bupropion and/or nicotine gum as maintenance treatment for preventing smoking relapse.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy of maintenance treatment with bupropion and/or nicotine gum for reducing smoking relapse.

Design, Setting And Participants: A 48-week study was conducted at a university-based smoking cessation clinic between February 2001 and October 2005. A total of 588 smokers received bupropion and nicotine patch in 8 weeks of open-label treatment (OLT); 289 abstainers during the last 4 weeks of OLT were randomized in double-blind placebo-controlled fashion to one of four arms for 16 weeks of maintenance treatment (MT) followed by 24 weeks of non-treatment follow-up (NTFU).

Social, thermal, and temporal influences on isolation-induced and maternally potentiated ultrasonic vocalizations of rat pups.

Sensory and temporal factors have been demonstrated to be involved in the regulation of isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) of young rats. Sensory cues include thermal, olfactory, and tactile modalities. Temporal factors include the time spent in isolation.