Title: Virtual Assessment and Rehabilitation in Stroke (VARE in stroke)
Funder: Stroke Association

Abstract: A stroke happens in the brain, the control centre for who we are and what we can do. The impact that aA stroke happens in the brain, the control centre for who we are and what we can do. The impact that a stroke has varies depending on which part of the brain is affected. If it damages the areas of the brain that control movement, the brain can struggle to send signals to muscles telling them to move. This causes weakness in certain muscles and can lead to problems with movement. Most stroke survivors have problems with movement after stroke, and they should be offered physiotherapy as part of their rehabilitation. Physiotherapy helps stroke survivors to practice the things they find difficult, like standing or walking, and strengthen muscles to make them work more effectively. Clinical guidelines recommend that stroke survivors that need physiotherapy receive 45 minutes of rehabilitation therapy every day. This should continue for as long as they want the rehabilitation and are showing benefit from it. But evidence shows that the majority of stroke survivors receive far less than this in hospital, and almost nothing once they’re out of the hospital. The amount of rehabilitation stroke survivors receive has a big influence on their recovery. We know that stroke survivors who have a poor recovery have a lower quality of life, and are less likely to take an active part in their community and get back to work. A Stroke Association survey also revealed that 45% of stroke survivors feel abandoned when they leave the hospital because they aren’t getting the help and support they need. Time in therapy with a physiotherapist is important as stroke survivors can get feedback on the movements they’re practising. They need to know whether they’re performing the movement in a correct way to avoid more problems with their movement in the future. But the lack of physiotherapy stroke survivors receive means that many don’t get this kind of feedback. Vitrue Health Ltd has developed a low-cost, portable, camera-based computer programme that can measure how someone moves and provide feedback on things like balance, posture, strength, and flexibility. But this technology hasn’t been used in stroke rehabilitation before, and more work is needed to make the system useful for stroke survivors and healthcare professionals. During this project, the team will develop and adapt the current technology so that it could be used in stroke rehabilitation

Lay abstract: A stroke happens in the brain, the control centre for who we are and what we can do. The impact that aA stroke happens in the brain, the control centre for who we are and what we can do. The impact that a stroke has varies depending on which part of the brain is affected. If it damages the areas of the brain that control movement, the brain can struggle to send signals to muscles telling them to move. This causes weakness in certain muscles and can lead to problems with movement. Most stroke survivors have problems with movement after stroke, and they should be offered physiotherapy as part of their rehabilitation. Physiotherapy helps stroke survivors to practice the things they find difficult, like standing or walking, and strengthen muscles to make them work more effectively. Clinical guidelines recommend that stroke survivors that need physiotherapy receive 45 minutes of rehabilitation therapy every day. This should continue for as long as they want the rehabilitation and are showing benefit from it. But evidence shows that the majority of stroke survivors receive far less than this in hospital, and almost nothing once they’re out of the hospital. The amount of rehabilitation stroke survivors receive has a big influence on their recovery. We know that stroke survivors who have a poor recovery have a lower quality of life, and are less likely to take an active part in their community and get back to work. A Stroke Association survey also revealed that 45% of stroke survivors feel abandoned when they leave the hospital because they aren’t getting the help and support they need. Time in therapy with a physiotherapist is important as stroke survivors can get feedback on the movements they’re practising. They need to know whether they’re performing the movement in a correct way to avoid more problems with their movement in the future. But the lack of physiotherapy stroke survivors receive means that many don’t get this kind of feedback. Vitrue Health Ltd has developed a low-cost, portable, camera-based computer programme that can measure how someone moves and provide feedback on things like balance, posture, strength, and flexibility. But this technology hasn’t been used in stroke rehabilitation before, and more work is needed to make the system useful for stroke survivors and healthcare professionals. During this project, the team will develop and adapt the current technology so that it could be used in stroke rehabilitation

Research activity codes: 6.7 PHYSICAL;7.3 MANAGEMENT AND DECISION MAKING
Health categories: STROKE