Stroke Rehabilitation & Recovery Flashcards

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied to the contralesional (unaffected) hemisphere in stroke rehabilitation aims to:

Answer: Decrease inhibitory activity from the intact hemisphere on the injured hemisphere

Inhibitory TMS (1 Hz rTMS) to the contralesional hemisphere reduces interhemispheric inhibition, allowing the ipsilesional hemisphere to function more effectively.

A stroke survivor completing outpatient rehabilitation shows plateau in progress. The MOST appropriate next step per evidence-based practice is:

Answer: Transition to a home exercise program with periodic reassessment

When plateau is reached, transitioning to a structured home program with scheduled reassessment maintains gains and monitors for further recovery potential.

Community reintegration after stroke is BEST measured using which outcome instrument?

Answer: Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ)

The Community Integration Questionnaire measures home, social, and productive integration and is specifically designed to assess return to community life.

Virtual reality (VR) therapy in stroke rehabilitation is PRIMARILY supported by evidence for improving which domain?

Answer: Upper extremity function and balance

VR therapy has the strongest evidence base for improving upper extremity motor function and balance in stroke survivors.

A post-stroke patient with urinary incontinence undergoes bladder training. The PRIMARY goal of this intervention is:

Answer: Gradually increasing voiding intervals to restore bladder capacity and control

Bladder training progressively increases the time between voiding to retrain the bladder to hold larger volumes and reduce urgency.

Which statement BEST describes the role of caregiver education in stroke rehabilitation?

Answer: Caregiver training improves patient outcomes and reduces caregiver burden

Evidence consistently shows that structured caregiver education and training improve both patient functional outcomes and reduce caregiver burden and stress.

The EXCITE trial provided landmark evidence for which stroke rehabilitation intervention?

Answer: Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) for the upper extremity

The EXCITE (Extremity Constraint-Induced Therapy Evaluation) trial demonstrated that CIMT produced superior upper extremity outcomes compared to usual care in chronic stroke survivors.