Our brains rely on sensory feedback information to control everything we do. Most from senses sound, taste, smell, touch, sight. This information can be harnessed to assist the brain to control processes that do not work correctly after a stroke. This innovative therapy is fascinating and has been the subject of numerous research projects in my 'Neuroplasticity Research Group (NRG)'.
Our brains rely on sensory feedback information to control everything we do. Most from senses sound, taste, smell, touch, sight. However, these senses can often be used to assist the brain to control processes that are not working correctly after a stroke. Here are a few suggestions of what could be used at home to assist.
Chapter 17: Making a Substitution
THE TAKEAWAY
1. Read Al Pacino’s Any Given Sunday quotations when you need to remember the skills important in running a rehabilitation program: leadership, teamwork with your stroke survivor, hard work, motivation for small gains, knowledge that you tried, belief that recovery will come, bonding between yourself and your stroke survivor.
2. Wobblers recovered their balance control using a new rehabilitation technique called sensory substitution.
3. The ability of our central nervous system to adapt to alternative information when deprived of certain sensory feedback is the foundation of neurorehabilitation through sensory substitution.
4. Our research lab is proving that sensory substitution works for stroke recovery.
5. Examples of sensory substitution/biofeedback exercises include weight-bearing using a digital scale, motion using a smartphone app, and sensory reeducation exercises.