RESULTS Studies of task-related training showed benefits for functional outcome compared with traditional therapies .
Active use of task-oriented training with stroke survivors will lead to improvements in functional outcomes and overall health-related quality of life .
CONCLUSION Generally , task-oriented rehabilitation proved to be more effective .
Many interventions are feasible for nurses and can be performed in a ward or at home .
AIM This paper is a report of a review conducted to provide an overview of the evidence in the literature on task-oriented training of stroke survivors and its relevance in daily nursing practice .
BACKGROUND Stroke is the second leading cause of death and one of the leading causes of adult disability in the Western world .
The use of neurodevelopmental treatment in the daily nursing care of stroke survivors does not improve clinical outcomes .
Nurses are therefore exploring other forms of rehabilitation intervention , including task-oriented rehabilitation .
Despite the growing number of studies showing evidence on task-oriented interventions , recommendations for daily nursing practice are lacking .
Effects of Task Goal and Personal Preference on Seated Reaching Kinematics After Stroke
Background and Purpose — Current theories of motor control in rehabilitation focus on how the nervous system responds to many types of external and internal constraints to execute motor behavior to accomplish a task . However , the dynamic interplay between these 2 constraints remains unclear . This study examined the impact of some aspects of internal and external constraints on motor performance in persons with stroke . Methods — Twenty-seven persons with stroke used the uninvolved arms  to perform an upper-extremity reaching task under 4 experimental conditions , formed by the crossing of functional goals and personal preferences . For the higher level of a functional goal , subjects took a drink from a can of beverage . For the lower level of a functional goal , subjects brought the can to the mouth without drinking . The level of personal preferences was determined , by interview , by the degree of predilection for particular beverages . Results — Significant and large effects of functional goals and personal preference were found in the variables of movement time and reaction time . However , the data trend of the 4 testing conditions varied according to presence of visuospatial neglect and side of lesion . Conclusions — Offering choices for the treatment activities and incorporating functional goals to therapeutic tasks might enhance response rate or movement efficiency , depending on the side of the lesion and presence of visuospatial neglect . The findings suggest that the consideration of the neglect phenomenon is a necessity when rehabilitative treatment planning incorporates constraint factors
RESULTS Studies of task-related training showed benefits for functional outcome compared with traditional therapies .
Active use of task-oriented training with stroke survivors will lead to improvements in functional outcomes and overall health-related quality of life .
CONCLUSION Generally , task-oriented rehabilitation proved to be more effective .
Many interventions are feasible for nurses and can be performed in a ward or at home .
AIM This paper is a report of a review conducted to provide an overview of the evidence in the literature on task-oriented training of stroke survivors and its relevance in daily nursing practice .
BACKGROUND Stroke is the second leading cause of death and one of the leading causes of adult disability in the Western world .
The use of neurodevelopmental treatment in the daily nursing care of stroke survivors does not improve clinical outcomes .
Nurses are therefore exploring other forms of rehabilitation intervention , including task-oriented rehabilitation .
Despite the growing number of studies showing evidence on task-oriented interventions , recommendations for daily nursing practice are lacking .