Recovery of upper limb function is greatest early after stroke but does continue to improve during the chronic phase: a two-year, observational study.

Objectives: Investigate upper limb (UL) capacity and performance from <14-days to 24-months post stroke.

Design: Longitudinal study of participants with acute stroke, assessed ≤14-days, 6-weeks, 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-months post stroke.

Setting: Two acute stroke units.

Setting the scene for the Second Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable.

The Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable (SRRR) meetings bring together an international group of preclinical and clinical researchers along with statisticians, methodologists, funders and consumers, working to accelerate the development of effective treatments for stroke recovery and to support best-evidence uptake in rehabilitation practice. The first meeting (2016) focused on four recommendation areas: translation of preclinical evidence into human discovery trials; recovery biomarkers to provide knowledge of therapeutic targets and prognosis in human stroke; intervention development, monitoring, and reporting standards; and standardized measurement in motor recovery trials. The impact of SRRR is growing, with uptake of recommendations emerging, and funders exploring ways to incorporate research targets and recommendations.

Behavioral Mapping of Patient Activity to Explore the Built Environment During Rehabilitation.

Aim: To explore the use of a rehabilitation-focused behavioral mapping method to identify changes in patient physical activity, location, and social interaction following the relocation of a rehabilitation ward.

Background: Rehabilitation wards are unique healthcare environments where patient activity is encouraged to improve recovery. Little is known about the impact of building design on patient behavior within a rehabilitation setting.

Reducing sedentary time and fat mass may improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in adults surviving 6 months after stroke: A phase I pilot study.

Introduction: Deranged glycaemic control is common post-stroke, increasing risks of recurrent stroke and development of diabetes. The aim of the study is to examine glucose metabolism in relation to body composition, physical activity and sedentary time post-stroke.

Patients And Methods: Observational study: Non-diabetic adults, unable to walk independently, were recruited within 2 weeks of first stroke.

Reduced bone formation markers, and altered trabecular and cortical bone mineral densities of non-paretic femurs observed in rats with ischemic stroke: A randomized controlled pilot study.

Background: Immobility and neural damage likely contribute to accelerated bone loss after stroke, and subsequent heightened fracture risk in humans.

Objective: To investigate the skeletal effect of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) stroke in rats and examine its utility as a model of human post-stroke bone loss.

Methods: Twenty 15-week old spontaneously hypertensive male rats were randomized to MCAo or sham surgery controls.