Department

Physical Therapy

Document Type

Article

Publication Source

Physiotherapy Theory and Practice

Publication Date

2019-10-26

Volume

37

Issue

10

First Page

1139

Last Page

1145

Abstract

Introduction: Impaired balance is one of the primary causes of functional limitations. Related to sensory deficits specifically, balance disorder in stroke may be caused by decreased central integration of sensory cues, including somatosensory, visual and vestibular input.

Case Presentation: This case describes a 23-year-old male with bilateral thalamic stroke following surgical resection of a recurring optic nerve meningioma. He had a complex medical history and is legally blind. He presented to outpatient neurorehabilitation 5 months following his stroke. He demonstrated absent light touch sensation and absent proprioception and kinesthetic awareness in his upper extremities, lower extremities, and trunk. Secondary to absent proprioception and vision and significant impairments related to shunt malfunction, he required total assistance for all mobility at initial examination.

Discussion: After 8 months of intensive rehabilitation, he demonstrated substantial improvements in all functional mobility and recovery of sensation. Rehabilitation included interventions such as electrical stimulation, fluidotherapy, repetitive task training, and most significantly, external augmented feedback. This feedback included sensory cues, auditory and tactile cues, and maximizing the use of vestibular input. This case demonstrates that neurorehabilitation can benefit patients with impaired use of sensory cues and central integration.

Keywords

Neurorehabilitation, proprioception, vestibular, fluidotherapy, thalamic stroke, vision

DOI

10.1080/09593985.2019.1683920

Comments

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice. The final, published version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2019.1683920.

https://doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2019.1683920

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