FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT IN NEUROMOTOR REEDUCATION

Abstract

Today’s neuromotor reeducation domain is filled up to the brim with all sorts of approaches. The only way of actually telling the good from the bad is conducting good and thorough studies, as well as having palpable evidence about the level of efficiency. The first step in doing that is having more specific tests that finely assess the motor function of a patient suffering from CNS lesions. This paper could be considered as a trial run for an even bigger step in terms of validating a supposed more specific tool of motor assessment. Two already validated and widely used tests in patients with stroke or in patients from the ICU are used, and the data collected is used to see if this new tool has a good, if any, relationship with the previous. Apparently, in all three circumstances, primary, secondary and final assessment a strong relationship was found and the statistical significance was very promising. On a personal note, one specific and important difference between the already in clinical and scientific use and the new test was that the new test could detect motor improvement when SIAS failed to do so, and even more so than DEMMI could. For a therapist, that is a very important aspect, being able to finely tune their means of approach. Also, for the patients, it could have better and more positive psychological outcomes, because now, even if before, when a regular test would not show them improvement at all, after a smaller amount of time, but with targeted means of work, they have something to show for.

Keywords

• Assessment; functional, neuromotor reeducation; FRA