News
The latest news from across neurorehabilitation.
Research3 DecResearchers have potentially made major progress in improving Parkinson's diagnosis - all through a basic eye test.
Around 145,000 people in the UK live with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD), Parkinson's UK says. This affects over 1 million people, however, when taking into account repercussions for families, friends and colleagues. Currently there is no test which enables clinicians to conclusively diagnose the condition; with the patient’s medical history and symptoms typically being assessed.
News3 DecDementia is one of the most common neurological conditions in the UK - and is on the rise, amid an ageing population. An estimated 1.5 million people in the UK will have the condition by 2040, the Alzheimer's Society says.
Another condition becoming more widespread is anxiety, with the Mental Health Foundation estimating over eight million cases in the UK currently. But could these two conditions be linked? According to a new study from the US, experiencing symptoms of anxiety could lead to a faster onset of Alzheimer's.
Brain injury2 DecResearchers have made advances in studying how the brain re-wires itself in neurological disease, which could yield breakthroughs in rehabilitation and therapy as a result.
Previously, scientific knowledge has revealed that the polio virus affects the spinal cord, but not the brain. However, a team from Trinity College Dublin has now discovered previously unknown changes also occurring in the brain networks. The findings suggest, say the team, that brain networks engage in an abnormal but active communication with muscles in patient groups studied.
Therapy2 DecA groundbreaking neurorehabilitation centre which uses outdoor activities as a basis for its rehab has confirmed its long-awaited opening date.
Calvert Reconnections is the UK’s first intensive acquired brain injury (ABI) rehabilitation centre which offers a unique approach to rehab for its residents.
Based on the outskirts of Keswick, in the Lake District, it takes advantage of its location by offering a programme of outdoor-based activities, all tailored around the needs of the individual.
Ongoing COVID-19 restrictions have meant the opening of Calvert Reconnections has been delayed on two occasions this year, but it has now been confirmed that the centre will finally open its doors in spring.
“We can’t wait to open in Spring 2021,” says centre director, Sean Day.
“2020 has been immensely difficult for everyone, but better times are on the horizon.
Spinal injury1 DecA paraplegic cyclist has utilised the power of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) to pedal his way to second place at the annual Cybathlon. Now, he’s embarking on another journey to raise £1 million to fund research on spinal stimulation; a treatment method which aims to improve the recovery and function of people with paralysis.
Following a trampolining accident in 2011 at the age of 16, Johnny Beer (AKA BionicBeer), was paralysed from the chest down.
Almost ten years later, the 25-year-old has snatched the silver medal at the Cybathlon 2020 FES Bike Race. BionicBeer powered his bike using Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), a method which contracts paralysed muscles using small electrical charges.
Electrodes are placed on the skin through which an electrical current is passed. This effectively replaces the nervous system stimulus that is lost when someone is paralysed.
Case management1 Dec
In the latest in our series of Q&A features with case managers to assess the impact of the pandemic, here Louise Sheffield of Active Case Management shares her thoughts and experiences.
Can you summarise how the past few months have been for you.
This year has been a strange one! There was a swift acceleration from the virus starting to be on my radar to it being upon us. It was a whirlwind and we had to think very quickly, with very limited information to make sure that colleagues safety was maintained and clients were looked after. 
News1 DecBrain injury charity Headway has called for the use of temporary substitutes in football following the latest high profile head injury in the sport.
The charity was speaking after the Arsenal versus Wolves game at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, which saw a clash of heads between Arsenal defender David Luiz and Wolves striker Raul Jimenez. Jimenez required oxygen on the pitch before being taken to hospital for further treatment. The thoughts of everyone at the charity are with Raul and his family as they wait for updates on his condition. A bloodied Luiz was bandaged before being allowed to return to the field of play – only to be substituted at half-time because, according to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, "he was really uncomfortable and couldn’t really head the ball".
Therapy1 DecNeurophysiotherapists are adopting a ‘blended approach’ in delivering rehab to their patients, incorporating both in-person therapy and telerehab, as they plan for the future of the profession post-pandemic.
Telerehab has grown hugely in its use since March, with therapy and consultations being delivered remotely due to the restrictions around social distancing and the shielding of many vulnerable people.
However, while physio practices and clinics have now re-opened and have resumed seeing patients in-person, many have realised the benefits of combining face-to-face contact with telerehab and plan to continue to use both into the future.
Having been an early adopter of telerehab, with its introduction being made years before the pandemic hit, PhysioFunction plans to continue its use alongside clinic-based appointments.
The business has built on its existing telerehab provision to add online therapy groups and classes to its offering, as well as expanding the remote technology service, all of which can be combined with in-person therapy to increase a patient’s rehabilitation opportunities.
“The blended approach works really well for many clients, but particularly those who are more vulnerable,” says Claire Everett, clinical operations manager at PhysioFunction and a senior neurological physiotherapist.
Families & carers28 NovWith every day of the COVID-19 pandemic that passes, unpaid carers are saving the UK state £530 million in the care they provide, new data suggests.
The research, released for Carers Rights Day, estimates that the care provided by people looking after older, disabled and seriously ill relatives and friends during the pandemic stands at £135 billion so far, after just eight months. Previous research by the charity found that the majority (81%) of carers have been taking on more care since the start of the pandemic and nearly two thirds (63%) are worried about how they will continue to manage over winter.
Legal27 NovBy David Withers, partner at Irwin Mitchell.
In serious injury cases, the parties can often disagree about whether an injured person has a need for a hydrotherapy pool. The installation, and subsequent maintenance, costs of a hydrotherapy pool are significant. This is often one of the most contentious heads of loss that arises in a serious injury case. Legal position In tort, the principle of “restitution in integrum” applies. This means that insofar as is possible the injured person should be put back in the position that they would have been in but for the negligence [see Livingstone – v – Rawyards Coal Co (1980) 5 App Cas 25]. This is often known as the full compensation principle.
