New Research Aims to Help Improve Stroke Rehabilitation

A new study from UCLA will test the potential advantages of telehealth appointments and courses to help stroke patients receive rehabilitation therapy. 
 
The study is led by professor of Neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, and medical director of research at California Rehabilitation Institute, Steven Cramer, as well as professor of rehabilitation medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, Dylan Edwards.
 
“Telerehabilitation In The Home After Stroke: A Randomized, Controlled, Assessor-Blind Clinical Trial” will recruit 202 patients with significant arm motor deficits four months after stroke. These patients will be randomly put into one of two therapies: a 6-week course of intensive daily arm motor rehabilitation therapy at home plus typical in-person care or typical in-person care alone.
 
The study aims to generate definitive evidence that continued rehabilitation therapy done remotely helps post-stroke patients at a time when medical systems reduce or end rehabilitation care.
 
Cramer hypothesizes that adding the six-week course to usual care will result in better functional outcomes compared to typical care alone. The study will also test how well neuroimaging measures help predict candidates who are most likely to respond to telehealth care. Health economic impacts of telerehabilitation therapy will also be studied.