The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Stroke Network has release Focus on Stroke 2013/2014 Competition Results and UBC Physical Therapy is the home of three of the awardees. Our trainees have also been successful with obtaining CIHR funding.
Incoming Post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Bimal Lakhani will be working with Dr. Lara Boyd on Structural and functional correlates of neuroplastic change associated with stroke. Also with Dr. Boyd is MSc student Katlyn Brown who received a Doctoral research award for the project, The role of sensory gating in motor learning following stroke, to further her training.
Dr. Brodie Sakakibara, working with Dr. Janice Eng was also awarded a Post-doctoral fellowship to work on Stroke COACH (Community Outreach and Cardiovascular Health).
Dr Kimberly Miller will be working as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr Jayne Garland and Dr Michael Hunt on Fast muscle activation and stepping training (FAST) to improve balance and mobility post-stroke.
Cameron Mang was chosen for a Canadian Stroke Network travel award so that he could attend attend the 4th Canadian Stroke Congress in Montreal, Oct 17-20. He will be presenting BDNF and COMT genetic polymorphism effects on motor function and corticospinal excitability in chronic stroke.
Recovery of movement after stroke is mediated by plasticity in the brain. Such neuropastic change is dependent on the expression of specific genes. This preliminary work suggests that common variants of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and catechol-o-methyl transferase (COMT) genes may impact post-stroke motor recovery from both a functional and physiological perspective. Improved understanding of genetic factors that influence stroke recovery will facilitate the development of novel, personalized post-stroke rehabilitation strategies.
Liang Hsu won a PhD award from Alzheimer’s Society of Canada’s Research Program for his project: Exploring Differences in Functional Connectivity between Senior Fallers and Non-Fallers
Falls among senior is a major healthcare issue and is reported to be associated with reduced brain health. To explore the relationship between brain health and falls, functional connectivity analysis was applied to investigate whether connectivity differences exist between fallers and non-fallers. Our data suggests fallers exhibit neural-network disruptions that may be precursor to cognitive decline. These results extend current understanding of the underlying neural mechanism with respect to falls and provide evidence to help facilitate development of more effective, efficient falls prevention strategies.
John Best a new Post-doctoral fellow with Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose was awarded a fellowship from CIHR for: Examining executive functions as mediators of a mental and social enrichment intervention for older adults with chronic stroke
Significant proportions of stroke survivors suffer long-term physical disability and are predisposed to sedentary lifestyles. This limits their performance of activities necessary for independent living in the community and contributes to increased risk for recurrent stroke and heart disease. Intervention strategies are needed to motivate stroke survivors to engage in routine physical activity and to optimize their physical and motor functions. One promising strategy targets executive functions (EFs) by engaging stroke survivors in complex mental and social activities. Broadly speaking, EFs refer to the cognitive processes that allow for adaptive behavior and self-control. The current study will evaluate the importance of improving EFs within the context of a mental and social enrichment intervention in order to have a meaningful impact on physical and motor functions, the ability to perform daily activities, and routine engagement in physical activity. The information garnered from this study will be crucial for improving stroke rehabilitation for older Canadians who suffer chronic disability from stroke.
Lindsay Nagamatsu, doctoral candidate with Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose, received a postdoctoral fellowship from CIHR to work with Dr. Art Kramer at the University of Illinois. Her research will focus on the efficacy of cognitive and exercise training to reduce falls risk in older adults.
Elizabeth Dao, also with Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose, earned a CIHR doctoral award for: Associations between amyloid-beta, white matter lesions, and cognitive function – Implications for future therapeutic approaches
Cognitive impairment and dementia is a significant health care issue. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) are the two most common forms of dementia. Traditionally, these two types of dementias were considered to be distinct and unrelated; however, we now know that VCI and AD pathology can and do co-exist (i.e., mixed dementia). VCI is significantly associated with cardiovascular risk factors, executive dysfunction, and is characterized by white matter lesions (WMLs). Given the established and significant benefit of exercise training on cardiovascular health, aerobic exercise has been proposed as a promising strategy to combat VCI and slow the progression of WMLs and cognitive decline. However, it is currently unknown how the presence of WMLs together with amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, a pathological hallmark of AD, may have a greater impact on cognitive function than WMLs alone. Furthermore, it is unknown whether the coexistence of Aβ plaques in people with VCI attenuates the effect of interventions such as aerobic exercise. Yet, the answers to these questions are important for ensuring optimal care for those exhibiting mixed VCI-AD dementia.