Clinical Practice Guidelines Updated for Management of Stroke Rehab
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2025 -- In clinical practice guidelines jointly issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense and published online Jan. 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, updated recommendations are presented for the management of stroke rehabilitation.
Blessen C. Eapen, M.D., from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues in a guideline development workgroup, developed 47 recommendations and an algorithm for stroke rehabilitation in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The group identified the strongest evidence to support guidelines in areas that are relevant to primary care: transition to community; motor therapy; dysphagia, aphasia, and cognition; and mental health.
Recommendations include using case management services at time of discharge to improve activities of daily living and functional independence, as well as task-specific practice to improve motor function, gait, posture, and activities of daily living. Suggestions include use of interventions to improve patient and caregiver depression; psychosocial education to improve family function, patient functional independence, and quality of life; mirror therapy; neuromuscular electrical stimulation to improve motor outcomes; botulinum toxin for focal spasticity; and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, psychotherapy, or mindfulness-based therapies for depression.
"Poststroke rehabilitation requires an interdisciplinary, holistic approach to the management, treatment, and rehabilitation of stroke sequelae, with the patient and caregivers as vital members of the team," the authors write.
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted January 2025
Read this next
Biomarkers Identified for Ischemic Stroke Risk in People With A-Fib
MONDAY, Aug. 11, 2025 -- Biomarkers of ischemic stroke risk are positively associated with ischemic stroke risk in people with atrial fibrillation (AF) on anticoagulation, and two...
Nonlinear Inverse Association Seen for Step Count, Peak Cadence With MACE
THURSDAY, Aug. 7, 2025 -- There are nonlinear, inverse associations for step count and peak cadence with the risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among individuals...
History of Pregnancy Complications Associated With Increased Ischemic Stroke Risk
THURSDAY, Aug. 7, 2025 -- Women with a history of pregnancy complications may have an increased risk for ischemic stroke at a young age (younger than 50 years), according to a...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.