CNS Neurorehabilitation and Recovery Flashcards

Which principle of neuroplasticity most directly supports the use of repetitive task-specific training in stroke rehabilitation?

Answer: Specificity

The specificity principle states that training effects are most pronounced in the exact skills and tasks practiced during rehabilitation.

A CNS specialist is evaluating a patient 3 months post-traumatic brain injury who has difficulty initiating movement despite intact motor strength. Which deficit is most likely?

Answer: Akinesia

Akinesia refers to the impairment of the ability to initiate voluntary movement and is common following TBI or basal ganglia injury.

Which outcome measure is most appropriate for assessing functional independence across multiple activities of daily living in a neurological rehabilitation setting?

Answer: Functional Independence Measure (FIM)

The FIM assesses 18 items covering motor and cognitive domains of functional independence and is widely used in inpatient neurorehabilitation.

Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is most effective for which patient population?

Answer: Chronic stroke patients with mild-to-moderate upper extremity paresis

CIMT forces use of the affected limb by restraining the unaffected limb, and evidence supports its use in stroke survivors with residual upper extremity motor function.

A patient with multiple sclerosis reports fatigue that worsens throughout the day and interferes with rehabilitation. Which energy conservation strategy is BEST to recommend?

Answer: Schedule demanding tasks in the early morning when energy is highest

In MS-related fatigue, scheduling high-demand tasks during peak energy periods (typically morning) is a core energy conservation strategy.

Which cognitive rehabilitation approach focuses on teaching patients compensatory strategies rather than restoring impaired functions?

Answer: Compensatory approach

The compensatory approach teaches patients to use intact abilities or external aids to work around cognitive deficits rather than targeting the deficit directly.