CIMT: A Case Study

There are numerous approaches to stroke rehabilitation, some of which are still in the early stages of development. Behavioral performance in any area, such as sensory-motor and cognitive function, is most likely to improve when motor activity is willful, repetitive and task specific.

I have reached out to RMT to schedule an onsite visit to discuss corrective actions. Julie Brackett with RMT did respond to the email I sent indicating she was out of today, and we will be coordinating the timing of the visit tomorrow morning.

Aneesh Singhal, MD, author of Recognition and management of stroke in young adults and adolescents, from the Clinical Journal of the American Academy of Neurology states

Most exercise is designed for neurorehabilitation, not cardiovascular health, so there is a very different definition for stroke patient exercise, as well as a very different goal set. Because strokes affect each person differently, treatment is also specific to the individual. The literature included in this review focuses on three different methods of exercise, each with very specific goals in mind. Cabanas-Valdés and collegues study was on Core and Trunk stability, Minyoung describes use of Virtual Reality enhanced exercise for treatment, and Tutak introduces the concepts behind Rehabilitation

Masculinity is often portrayed as dominant, violent and fearless, while femininity is often associated with gentleness, obedience and domesticity. This is not always the case however, as shown in the tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Instead, the play shows Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as the “dead butcher and his fiend-like queen”, and these characters agree with this view to a certain extent. While Lady Macbeth is initially portrayed as “fiend-like”, she becomes less devilish since the murder of Duncan. However, Macbeth is transformed by his wife from a loyal warrior to a “dead butcher”.

Like the first article above, the purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of mental practice use on upper-extremity impairment and functional outcomes on stroke patients, but also to see if mental practice plus physical practice would yield better results. This study took place in a licensed university-affiliated rehabilitation hospital. The design of this experiment was a case study, which consisted of only four total participants. Participants were chosen randomly; three men and one woman with moderate upper-limb hemiparesis post-stroke. Two subjects received mental practice and constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), one subject received only mental practice, and one received only CIMT. The main outcomes measures were the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the Motor Activity Log (MAL). The WMFT is a validated test that measures time (15 tasks) or strength (2 tasks) in completing upper-extremity joint specific or multiple joint movements or functions. The MAL is an upper-extremity disability measure. It is a semi-structured interview during which participants are asked to rate how much and how well (6-point scale; range, 0 worst to 5 best) they use their more affected arm for 30 ADL items in the home environment over a specified period. The participant who received only mental practice showed slight

Physical therapists working at these large hospitals throughout the Midwest where recruitment will occur will be formally trained how on how to perform MT so that therapists will be consistent within and between patients. Both groups will receive 1 hour of MT of the upper extremity 5 days a week for 4 weeks. In addition to this treatment, the physical therapist will also work with patients in both groups on limb activation for 1 hour 5 days a week for 4 weeks and provide the more traditional physical therapy given to stroke patients, such as doing exercises to improve strength in the upper and lower extremity on the affected side involving neuromuscular re-education, pre-walking functional activities, weight shifts in sitting or standing, or the maintenance of unassisted

Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability and patients face multiple challenges, such as weakness/paralysis on one side of the body, social disability, inability to walk and self-care, the decline in community participation, and the decline in cognitive and emotional functioning. These challenges impede them from independently performing their daily activities related to work, school, parenting, or leisure. Evidence Based Practice shows that the best way to treat individuals with stroke is through the use of the mental practice. Mental practice is a training method during which a person cognitively rehearses a physical skill in the absence of overt, physical movements for the purpose of enhancing motor skill performance. It is a practice

As the presidential race rages on, Donald Trump has lashed out against a fellow republican candidate who was seemingly slated early on as a potential vice president running mate. Instead, Trump has turned the table on Cruz by running a 30-second commercial ad portraying candidate Ted Cruz campaign of wrongful practices in his candidacy sweetheart funding, amnesty for illegal immigrants, and falsely accused the Cruz campaign of starting rumors of Ben Carson suspending his bid for the White House.

There is evidence to suggest that improved motor recovery occurs when the brain uses the original neural system to control the movement as this is shown to represent "true" recovery. Whereas, if new networks were to form in the unaffected hemisphere of the brain, motor recovery will be reduced. As a result of using these new networks, fine motor control is lost and employment of compensatory movement strategies are associated with a poorer functional outcome (Nudo, 2007). The recovery of motor skills following a stroke, like walking, relies on the brain’s ability

Constraint-Induced Physical Therapy is a specialized rehabilition approach used to improve motor ability and the functional use of a limb affected by brain injury or a stroke. After suffering a stroke, a person can lose the function of one of their limbs. These stroke survivors can get frustrated and learn to stop using affected limb and start relying on the unaffected limb. Constraint-Induced Physical Therapy tries to decrease the effects of learned non-use by forcing patients to use the affected side. CIMT uses techniques like placing a mitt on the patient’s unaffected functional hand and forcing them to perform tasks with their stroke-affected limb for a majority of the day. This therapy also has the patient perform repetitive movements to repair the brains pathways. CIMT is a deliberate practice that focuses on relearning previously acquired motor skills. Relearning motor skills is measured by acquisition, retention, and transfer of skills. Acquisition is the performance of a previously learned motor skill. To relearn a motor skill, the skill must be rehearsed repeatedly. The more time a patient devotes to a task the more opportunity they have to improve their movement

The lack of technology in the past has left multiple stroke patients struggling with physical and mental impairments. However, due to the constant change and improvements made to technology, patients are now getting more help with their physical and mental needs. Nowadays, the odds of a patient gaining full function and ability back after a traumatic brain injury are much more favorable than not. Advanced technology such as robotic gloves, interactive video games, and electrical stimulators are effective tools in the treatment of strokes because they stimulate the brain to help regain ability and motor functions.

There are two ways in which the brain can restore function after a stroke, re-adaptation through neural plasticity, and cell restoration. Due to some stem cells still existing in the brain through life, it can regrow some damage, though it is pretty limited in doing so, and ever gets back to its pre-stroke state. With re-adaptation, the brain remaps some of the functions that were lost, to other areas of the brain. It’s this process that is attributed to the majority of recovery after stroke. Yet again however, the brain is not able to restore full functionality after a major attack, even with both of these processes working in tandem. There are a few ways of helping the brain heal itself, however, and can get people far closer to their pre-stroke performance then what could be done on their own. The four ways in which this can be done are varied. They range from exercise, to drugs, and even stem cell therapy. Though all have their uses, exercise based therapy remains the most common, and most effective source of recovery. (Murphey, Corbett, 2009) It still remains to be see if or how we can restore full function to a stroke patient, though the field of medicine will not stop until it finds a way. In that regard, science has its most powerful effect, inspiring people to better, not just for themselves but for humanity as a

Brain foundation 2011, A-Z of disorders, Stroke, Brain Foundation, Sydney, viewed 30 June 2011, .

China is one of the greatest macroeconomic success stories of the current generation. The People’s Republic of China has in a little less than half a century moved to arguably be one of the greatest economies in the world. Indeed, some may even argue that it is the greatest. This, as per the Kindleberger/Minsky model, is a major cause for worry and not celebration. Indeed, around the year 2015, the Chinese economy was doing so well that it was attracting an avalanche of investors. Companies such as Beijing Baofeng Technology Company would have their stocks appreciating at astronomical levels of up to 10% per day. Money managers and experts from around the world and even the USA were exhorting investors to buy Chinese stakes. The government