Rehabilitation after stroke

Abstract

Stroke  is one  of the  most  common  causes  of neurological impairment in adults.  Recovery from impairment after  a stroke is  usually  incomplete, and  approximately 50% of  patients are  left  with  disabilities,  making  them  dependent on  others. Functional  deficits after stroke are also associated with huge financial burden  on the patient,  family, and society. Worldwide, stroke  is the  leading  cause  of disability in adults, often  resulting  in impairments such as muscle  weakness,  sensory deficits, spasticity, balance  problems, decreased dexterity, communication difficulties and cognitive impairment. The increased number of stroke  survivors creates  a high  demand  for effective  and  accessible neurorehabilitation  treatments. Rehabilitation after stroke aims to reduce disability by facilitating  recovery of impairment, activity or participation. Different techniques and methods  can  be  used  in rehabilitation management. Stroke  rehabilitation requires  repetitive,  intensive,  goal-oriented therapy. Rehabilitation training  can  effectively  improve  limb functioning  in stroke  patients and  reduce  disability. The effectiveness of most interventions for the upper and lower limbs is driven by repetition and principles  of task- and context-specific motor learning. Among the important directions  of stroke rehabilitation will be to optimize  the prediction  of post-stroke outcomes, identify  more  sensitive  and  specific  recovery  biomarkers,  personalize rehabilitation measures   depending on  the  severity and nature  of the vascular accident, as well as understand and address  socio-economic barriers to the recovery process.