New Right Hemisphere Stroke Center opened for patients with right hemisphere stroke syndrome

Albert Einstein Healthcare NetworkJan 21 2010

MossRehab (part of the Albert Einstein Healthcare Network) has opened a new Right Hemisphere Stroke Center ― the only center in the nation devoted to managing the unique needs of patients with right hemisphere stroke syndrome. It is a specialized treatment center with outpatient programs that were developed by Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute researchers and expert rehabilitation clinicians.

“Because of its comprehensive range of rehabilitative services, and a clinical and research team of world-class experts in rehabilitation medicine, MossRehab has earned a global reputation for comprehensive clinical rehabilitation and research programs”

The right hemisphere of the brain controls the movement of the left side of the body. It also controls perceptual tasks such as judging distance, size, speed, or position. Patients who have suffered a stroke to the right hemisphere of the brain may experience difficulty seeing or paying attention to objects and people on their left (referred to as “left neglect”), decreased motivation and energy levels, decreased awareness of physical problems, and sadness or a decreased range of emotional feeling.

When patients are admitted to the program, their unique rehabilitation needs are assessed and a targeted therapy program is identified, which includes state-of-the art treatments that incorporate the most recent research. At the Right Hemisphere Stroke Center, patients have regular access to specialized equipment.

Rehabilitation researchers at MossRehab have developed a fast, inexpensive and reliable diagnostic tool to detect “left neglect,” called the Virtual Reality Lateralized Attention Test. Using virtual reality technology, participants experience the feeling of driving down a winding path while they navigate with a computer joystick. They are asked to name objects they encounter on each side of the path. When results are tallied, patients suffering from even subtle “left neglect” detect fewer objects on the left side. The technology is proving more sensitive than tests traditionally used to diagnose this condition, and will be used in the Right Hemisphere Stroke Center to assess treatment-related improvements.

“Because of its comprehensive range of rehabilitative services, and a clinical and research team of world-class experts in rehabilitation medicine, MossRehab has earned a global reputation for comprehensive clinical rehabilitation and research programs,” said Laurel Buxbaum, PsyD, Director, Right Hemisphere Stroke Center. “With the opening of the Right Hemisphere Stroke Center, we are able to address the unique needs of individuals who’ve suffered this type of stroke. Among our outcome goals are to improve patients’ vision and awareness of space; increase energy levels and motivation; and improve emotional well-being and quality of life.”