Recent advances in stroke recovery and rehabilitation

Abstract

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, but remains a leading cause of disability. As more stroke victims survive with advanced acute care, effective strategies and interventions are required to optimize poststroke outcomes. In recent years, knowledge with respect to stroke recovery has expanded greatly through completion of preclinical and clinical trials. Emerging technology may provide further treatment options beyond the standard therapy and practices. In this article, the authors review recent advances in stroke recovery and rehabilitation, including the major determinants of poststroke recovery, challenges in translational stroke recovery research, and several emerging rehabilitation modalities such as noninvasive brain stimulation, brain-computer interface, biotherapeutics, and pharmacologic agents. Potential future directions in research are also addressed.