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Approximately 40% of stroke survivors experience aphasia, a difficulty with comprehending or producing spoken or written language caused by a cerebrovascular accident. In half of these cases the language impairment still persists one year post-stroke. Aphasia has wide-ranging effects on the ability to function and quality of life of stroke survivors and easily leads to social isolation. According to a recent study conducted at the University of Helsinki, singing-based group rehabilitation can support communication and speech production of patients and increase social activity even at the chronic phase of stroke. The burden experienced among the family caregivers participating in the...

It was hard to miss seeing Manny Garcia either out for a run or coaching soccer in his hometown of Mission, Texas, in 2014. He was out running almost every morning before his teaching job at Nikki Rowe High School, and then back out to coach the soccer team in the afternoons. He was healthy, though the runs were to shed a few unwanted pounds to get him below 200. That was his only goal, at least until January 2, 2014. He had finished soccer practice and mowed the lawn, so he lay down to watch TV. That was the...

Paralysed patients are being taught to use their hands and arms again by an electric ‘gauntlet’. It stimulates the muscles to make the hands and arms work again and also helps the brain to relearn how to move them unaided. An area of the brain unaffected by the stroke then takes over from the damaged area to control movement. Each year, millions of men and women around the world suffer from a stroke, which results in either death or severe disability. Many stroke patients have hand paralysis, which prevents them from doing many every day activities, from opening a door...