Bilateral priming accelerates recovery of upper limb function after stroke: a randomized controlled trial.

Background And Purpose: The ability to live independently after stroke depends on the recovery of upper limb function. We hypothesized that bilateral priming with active-passive movements before upper limb physiotherapy would promote rebalancing of corticomotor excitability and would accelerate upper limb recovery at the subacute stage.

Methods: A single-center randomized controlled trial of bilateral priming was conducted with 57 patients randomized at the subacute stage after first-ever ischemic stroke.

The PREP algorithm predicts potential for upper limb recovery after stroke.

Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability and the recovery of motor function is important for independence in activities of daily living. Predicting motor recovery after stroke in individual patients is difficult. Accurate prognosis would enable realistic rehabilitation goal-setting and more efficient allocation of resources.

Improving the rehabilitative management of client sexual health concerns after neurological disability: evaluation of a staff sexuality training programme in New Zealand.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a staff sexuality training programme as a means of improving the rehabilitative management of client sexual health concerns after neurological disability.

Design: A prospective controlled pre- and posttest evaluation design with six-month follow-up.

Subjects: Seventy-four multidisciplinary rehabilitation and disability staff who attended a two-day workshop, and a control group of 25 staff members who did not receive the training.