title: New approaches to neurorehabilitiation: the increasing evidence base.
abstract: Recent advances in neuroscience have led to newer, more scientific approaches to rehabilitation for patients who have had a stroke or sustained a brain or spinal cord injury. Specifically, the pendulum in rehabilitation has swung away from a focus on compensatory techniques and toward impairment-mitigating therapies. In addition, there is a new push to base therapies on scientific evidence. This article explores these changes and the developments that led to them, including discoveries in basic science that have enhanced our understanding of neuroplasticity. It also describes new research directions in neurorehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute.
authors.forename: Karl J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Sandin
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012106:Research; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000503:physiopathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation