Description: Stroke patients continue to present a major challenge to the rehabilitation professions. In particular, the "rehabilitated" patient with a useless hand remains an all too common phenomenon. This book focuses on the sensory perceptual disturbances caused by stroke which, even if slight can be the crucial factor in poor hand function. Sensory deficit tends to be overlooked and is seldom addressed directly by therapists.

A wide-ranging review is presented of the processes of functional reorganization by which the brain responds to the demands posed by injury as well as by learning. An inescapable conclusion from this literature is that any therapy which aims to harness these processes for the restoration of function after stroke needs to engage the patient's attention and motivation. This is followed by a detailed description of the method of Sensory Re-education developed by the author through long experience with patients and culminating in a clinical trial which is established its effectiveness. Central to Sensory Re-education is a therapeutic relationship in which knowledge is shared, goals are determined in collaboration, and sensory tasks are chosen which the patient can do and finds interesting. The emphasis on success makes the work rewarding and enjoyable and thus an excellent means for building the self-confidence necessary for successful rehabilitation.

While the book is intended primarily for physiotherapists and occupational therapists, it contains much to interest all who are concerned with brain function in health and disease, including neurologists and neuropsychologists, as well as stroke patients and their families.

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