Stroke_survivors

Jeff Green | Feb 15, 2007

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Stroke survivors needed for study

The Heart and Stroke Foundation is funding a study for which it needs participants who have recently had a stroke. A local research team is going to offer them regular rehabilitation tune-ups, something that they, unfortunately, do not get now. The goal is to see (1) if these tune-ups make a difference to the person by keeping them more independent and (2) if they do, how much they would save the health care system in preventing further deterioration or long-term care costs.

Stroke survivors in rural areas will be able to participate in the study, as the tune-ups will be given in their own homes, so that they do not have to travel.

The study needs people who are currently undergoing in-patient stroke rehabilitation or have been recently discharged. Survivors are eligible for the study as long as they have had a hemispheric stroke affecting one side of their body. They must also be able to communicate in English, and have reasonable cognitive function.

To see if tune-ups will do the trick, researchers will allocate participants to two groups one receiving maintenance therapy, and the other receiving no maintenance therapy. The latter group will be the control group. Survivors in the tune-up group will receive two weeks of intensive rehabilitation therapy at 6 months and at 12 months, in the comfort of their own homes.

If the study results show that the therapy makes a difference, the control group will be given the opportunity to also receive the maintenance therapy.

Anyone who might be eligible and is interested in participating is asked to call Dr. Brouwer at 613-533-6087.