Hello my name is Joe Harbor. I am currently a student at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center studying occupational therapy. My class was given the assignment of searching for information on a topic we will be covering in our Neuro Aspects course. I decided I would watch a Ted Talk on strokes since it is the leading cause of long term disabilities in American adults. In fact every 40 seconds in America someone suffers from a stroke.
The Ted Talk " A Critical Window for Recovery After Stroke" looked at how there is evidence to suggest there is a small window following a stroke where recovery can be maximized. Dr. John KraKauer proposed that in order to take advantage of this short window we need to change the way we treat patients and, in particular, change the environment to which patients are in directly following a stroke. Dr. Krakauer further discussed the need to bring multiple disciplines together in order to achieve this. Dr. Krakauer likewise highlighted the fact that hospital environments need to be more like a rat cage. Meaning that in the research they conducted on rats, the results are showing that when they place the rats back into an environment with other rats, a rat wheel, and other things to do then the rats were able to recover more quickly and to a better capacity. He pointed out the fact the average person who suffers from stroke will regain close to 70% of their ability lost due to the incident. Most of this will be done within 5 weeks of a stroke in humans. After the 5th week mark improvements plateau. However, they were able to restore a rats ability to 100% a day following an induced stroke.
Dr. Krakauer theorizes that something happens in the brain for a short time following a stroke that allows for rapid recovery. During research the scientist would try to prolong this window to allow for maximum recovery. They were able to do this with medication and by initially inducing another stroke in the rats. Even in those rats who had a second stroke the recovery was better than those who received no retraining or delayed retraining. This lead Dr. Krakauer and his team to the conclusion that the typical course of action and the typical hospital setting did not allow for the patient to recover the best.
I would like for you to take a minute and imagine yourself being in an hospital after a stroke or any other accident. It is sad, you spend 60% of time alone and only 15% of your time moving. This is not the ideal environment to promote brain recovery following a stroke. So Dr. Krakauer and his scientists partnered with engineers, coders, and artists from MIT to create a machine that promotes activity, engagement, happiness, and brain recovery. They want to make the hospital room more like the rat cage as soon as possible to take advantage of the window they have found to exist for recovery.
I was really drawn in by the presentation given by Dr. Krakauer. I would recommend anyone who has a loved one that suffers from or anyone whose job will have them treat someone who suffers from a stroke to watch the video. It will show the importance of early intervention with the individual and give hope of a recovery. The video will also challenge you to think outside the box and reach out to others who have expertise you do not in order to help those who suffer from stroke to the fullest.
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