Post-stroke rehabilitation in the peri-pandemic COVID-19 era

AbstractThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which arose  in late 2019, caused extensive destruction, impacting a substantial proportion of the worldwide population and leading to millions of deaths. Although COVID-19 is mainly linked to respiratory and pulmonary complications, it has the potential to affect neurologic structures as well. Neurological in volvement may manifest as minimal and reversible; however, a notable proportion of cases have exhibited pronounced neurological consequences, such as strokes. Endothelial inflammation, hypercoagulation, renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system alterations, and cardiogenic embolism are the pathophysi ological mechanisms of stroke under COVID-19 circumstances. Physical activity and exercise have improved several aspects of post-stroke recovery, including cardiovascular health, walking capacity, and upper limb strength. They are commonly used to assist stroke survivors in overcoming their motor restrictions. Furthermore, stroke rehabilitation can incorporate a range of specific techniques, including body-weight-supported treadmill applications, constraint-induced movement therapy, robotic rehabilitation interventions, transcranial direct current stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulati on, and prism adaptation training. Under pandemic conditions, there were several barriers to neurological rehabilitation. The most significant of these were individual’s fear of infection, which caused them to postpone their rehabilit...
Source: Rheumatology International - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research