
Stroke Rehabilitation Research
At NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation, our research has enabled us to develop innovative therapies, devices, and technology to improve patient outcomes for people who experience a stroke.
Beginning in 2018, Jonathan H. Whiteson, MD, launched efforts to establish a research community to study the role and value of aerobic exercise in recovery and rehabilitation not only in patients with cardiopulmonary conditions but also in patients who have had stroke.
Although Rusk Rehabilitation has been integral in developing groundbreaking treatments for post-stroke muscle stiffness, Dr. Whiteson examines the effects of exercise beyond strengthening weak muscles and improving endurance after a stroke. He is examining the effects of aerobic exercise at a neurochemical and cellular level and found that it enhances the traditional rehabilitation recovery rate and provides significant cognitive benefits.
In the Mobilis Laboratory, Heidi Schambra, MD, leads a research team working to understand motor recovery after stroke and developing mechanistically informed therapies to accelerate recovery. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the laboratory takes a multimodal approach to stud the motor system, using neurophysiological (transcranial magnetic stimulation), neuromodulatory (transcranial direct current stimulation), neuroanatomical (diffusion kurtosis MRI), biomechanical (kinematics, electromyography), and behavioral methods. This experimental approach enables the complementary appraisal of systems supporting motor learning and recovery in the upper limbs.
In the Visuomotor Integration Laboratory, John-Ross (J.R.) Rizzo, MD, MSCI, and his team focus on the intersection between ocular motor control and appendicular motor control, with a particular emphasis on understanding the mechanisms of eye–hand coordination as they relate to stroke recovery. The long-term goal of the multidisciplinary research group is to streamline the development of comprehensive diagnostics and pragmatic therapies to rapidly detect impairment and more effectively promote function. Through behavioral methodology and advanced neuroimaging, our researchers study the biomechanics of eye and hand (oculography and motion capture) to answer questions that surround visuomotor integration in motor learning and recovery.
We translate our cumulative research efforts into improved patient treatments and therapies offered through our Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)–accredited stroke rehabilitation program.
Recent Publications
A Smart Service System for Spatial Intelligence and Onboard Navigation for Individuals with Visual Impairment (VIS4ION Thailand): study protocol of a randomized controlled trial of visually impaired students at the Ratchasuda College, Thailand
Trials. 2023 Mar 07; 24:169
Methodological Issues Relevant to Blinding in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research
American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation. 2023 Mar 04;
Mind-Body Intervention for Dysfunctional Breathing in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Feasibility Study and Lessons Learned
Journal of integrative & complementary medicine. 2023 Mar ; 29:156-168
Enhanced cognitive interference during visuomotor tasks may cause eye-hand dyscoordination
Experimental brain research. 2023 Feb ; 241:547-558
Dual-Tasking in Daily Activities Among Adults With and Without Stroke
American journal of occupational therapy. 2023 Jan 01; 77:
UNav: An Infrastructure-Independent Vision-Based Navigation System for People with Blindness and Low Vision
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland). 2022 Nov 17; 22:
MICK (Mobile Integrated Cognitive Kit) app: Feasibility of an accessible tablet-based rapid picture and number naming task for concussion assessment in a division 1 college football cohort
Journal of the neurological sciences. 2022 Nov 15; 442:120445
Accuracy of clinical versus oculographic detection of pathological saccadic slowing
Journal of the neurological sciences. 2022 Nov 15; 442:120436