Rehabilitation of Post Stroke Sensory Impairment

Abstract

Stroke is the leading cause of adult onset disability and the third or fourth leading cause of death both in the USA and many developed countries around the world. It was concluded that approximately one million strokes occur each year in Europe making it the most common neurological disorder. The most common deficit after stroke is hemiparesis of the contralateral side with more than 80% of those with stroke experiencing it acutely and more than 40% chronically (Doyle et al, 2014). Sensory loss is thought to be common after a stroke and the restoration of impaired sensation is an important aspect of stroke rehabilitation. It is considered a precursor to the recovery of movement and functional activity and it is an important part of widely used physiotherapy approaches (Dukelow et al., 2012). One prominent deficit resulting from stroke is visuospatial neglect which has been associated with slower and more attenuated recovery patterns of sensorimotor impairment as well as limitations in activities of daily living (Di Monaco et al., 2011) compared to non-neglect patients. Several studies also have shown that somatosensory deficit has a negative effect on the functional outcome of patients with hemiplegia and prolongs rehabilitative treatment, in the case of the upper limb the poor functional recovery occurring with sensory loss can be at least in part due to a “learned nonuse” mechanism that has been documented in studies with somatosensory deficit.