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Hand Function in Stroke

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Hand Function

Abstract

Stroke is a common health problem and is a leading cause of adult disability with upper limb impairment. Approximately half of the patients remain permanently disabled despite the completion of rehabilitation. Deficits are especially prevalent in the hand, and these physical limitations directly affect activities of daily living (ADL). An important issue in hand rehabilitation in stroke patients has been how to regain the best function. Since the improvement of dexterity is a major goal of stroke rehabilitation, it is important to identify appropriate measures to determine functional recovery. There are numerous scales, assessments, and tests that have been described to examine qualitative properties in patients with stroke. Early predictors for dexterity of the paretic limb should therefore inform treatment plans targeted at effective recovery and better prognosis. Rehabilitation protocols should be aimed at modifying neural plasticity to improve motor performance and maintain the interactions between them. Different approaches of hand dexterity have been described in addition to conventional therapy, including constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT), bilateral arm training, motor imagery, mirror therapy, and robot-aided training. The key principles of stroke rehabilitation include accelerated early rehabilitation, a functional approach targeted at task-oriented activities and intense practice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University School of Medicine, Oda no 1628, Pendik, Istanbul, 34899, Turkey

    Osman Hakan Gündüz M.D. & Özün Bayindir M.D.

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  1. Osman Hakan Gündüz M.D.
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  2. Özün Bayindir M.D.
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Correspondence to Osman Hakan Gündüz M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University Medical School, Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mehmet Tuncay Duruöz

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Gündüz, O.H., Bayindir, Ö. (2014). Hand Function in Stroke. In: Duruöz, M. (eds) Hand Function. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9449-2_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9449-2_8

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9449-2

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