Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery - Annual Report 2016-17

At least Canada is much closer to a great stroke association that anything else I've seen. But they still need improvement, getting away from guidelines and going to protocols with efficacy percentages.
http://mailchi.mp/569d78c21d15/cpsr-stroke-recovery-news-e-newsletter?

Achievements in 2016-17 1. We added Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) at the University of Calgary to the CPSR. HBI is investing $1.2 million over three years in equipment and research salaries to support stroke recovery research. With the announcement at the 2016 Canadian Stroke Congress, this brings the number of invested partners to eight. Calgary shares with CPSR its expertise in paediatric stroke, imaging, robotics, exercise, and more. Read the news release. Follow the links below to learn about CPSR work underway in Calgary: Read about game-changing paediatric stroke recovery research Meet a young research participant who went on to achieve his paralympic dreams.  Learn how robotics deliver stroke assessment and therapy. Meet a stroke survivor who worked with a robot to improve his recovery Discover research to determine the optimal dose of exercise for post-stroke recovery Meet a Calgary dad who took part in an exercise study to fast-track his recovery. 2. We funded innovative research (11 catalyst grants and 19 trainee awards) at institutions across Canada, covering all facets of stroke recovery research. Read about our funded projects here. The top-rated award in 2016 went to Lara Boyd and her team at the University of British Columbia for their research on biomarkers - predictors of stroke recovery. Dr. Boyd's team looks at motor and cognitive recovery post-stroke and the impact of small brain lesions on recovery. Learn more here. In addition to our regular round of catalyst and trainee awards for 2017, we entered into a special partnership with Quebec's REPAR network to fund two high-impact Quebec-based research projects focused on stroke recovery. 3. We are building the infrastructure for a national clinical trials network in stroke recovery. Thanks in part to funding from Brain Canada, we are putting in place at sites across Canada the infrastructure needed to launch game-changing trials. The first trial will test basic research findings that indicate the anti-depressant fluoxetine (commonly known as Prozac) in combination with an exercise protocol can be used to re-open the window of recovery in the brain in patients who have plateaued 3-6 months after a stroke. Also in the pipeline is a stem cell trial. Pre-clinical research conducted in the CPSR has demonstrated the promise of cellular therapy. A survey of people living with stroke was done by our partners at the Ottawa Methods Centre this year to determine expectations around a trial. And, finally, a team of CPSR and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute researchers, led by Dr. Dar Dowlatshahi, has applied for funding to get a multi-site trial underway. Learn more about the promise of stem cells by watching our VIDEO.

4. We continued to expand our National Training Program through our popular SPiN (Stroke Program in Neurorecovery) workshop, mentorships, lab exchanges, and monthly webinars. In late 2016, 55 research trainees from across Canada and the U.S. took part in the three-day SPiN workshop at University of British Columbia focused on "Biomarkers and Novel Rehabilitation Technologies in Stroke Recovery Research." The course included presentations by world-class stroke researchers, hands-on workshops, a sit-down session with four stroke survivors (meet them HERE) and multiple networking events. In addition to our mentorship program, lab exchanges and workshops, the trainee webinar series has  proven to be a useful opportunity for trainees to hone their presentation skills. There are 170 graduate students and early-career investigators in our National Trainee Association. Meet some of our amazing and talented trainees HERE.

Participants in the CPSR 2016 SPiN workshop at UBC

5. We developed and supported new tools and resources to help clinicians deliver the best possible care, based on the latest research evidence. These included: an enhanced Stroke Engine website, which attracts 40,000 visitors a month and is led by Dr. Annie Rochette at the Université de Montréal. This year, Stroke Engine added and updated content throughout, continued to build the French website, and added a new E-LEARNING section, which includes a CPSR-funded training course on Aerobics after stroke. Check out strokengine.ca and the e-Aerobics modules. the ViaTherapy App is the result of a five-year process co-led by Drs Mark Bayley at UHN-Toronto Rehab and Steven Wolf of Emory University in Atlanta. Its aim is to make stroke rehabilitation guidelines more accessible to clinicians. ViaTherapy translates the guidelines to a decision-making algorithm for occupational therapists and physiotherapists to use with their patients. ViaTherapy is FREE on Apple's App Store and Google Play for Android devices and at www.viatherapy.org. In September 2016, the 17th version of the Evidence-Based Review of Stroke Rehabilitation (EBRSR.com) was released online. This update incorporated an additional 1,218 studies to the existing content. A stroke database was created to include all demographic information about the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) included in the EBRSR. Data from a total of 1,931 RCTs were compiled. Data were used to generate multiple manuscripts and conference abstracts.

www.strokengine.ca and www. EBRSR.com

6. Our Annual Scientific Meeting in Quebec City was engaging and well-attended. We shared the latest stem cell research developments, advances in the use of brain stimulation, and new technologies to improve recovery. The meeting also attracted several hundred people to participate in the popular Advances in Stroke Recovery forum. This year, we examined and debated the findings of the AVERT trial, the world's largest trial on the timing of post-stroke rehabilitation. Missed the meeting? Watch these VIDEO presentations to learn MORE.  7. We strengthened international collaborations through the Stroke Recovery Research Roundtable. We spoke at conferences around the world. And we published like crazy! CPSR-funded researchers published 167 scientific publications last year in high-impact journals, including Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Lancet Neurology, Stroke, Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, and Cell Reports. We are a leader on the international stage by making major contributions to the international Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable (SRRR). The SRRR's goal is to develop consensus-based recommendations to guide stroke recovery research and rehabilitation efforts. The International Journal of Stroke has published six guideline papers arising from the inaugural SRRR meeting held in Philadelphia in May 2016. These same papers will be co-published by the journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair and the journal Stroke intends to publish a summary article based on these guidelines. CPSR will help organize a second SRRR meeting, to be held in conjunction with the World Stroke Congress meeting in Montréal in 2018, that will focus on international collaboration in stroke recovery research. 8. We involved people living with stroke and their families in all aspects of our organization. Our active and engaged Stroke Community Advisory Committee participated in our annual research review and our Knowledge Translation efforts. They helped researchers design patient surveys, worked with partners to strengthen the network of survivors, created videos, participated in the development of new tools and outreach efforts, volunteered in our booth at the Canadian Stroke Congress, and more. Our Stroke Community Advisory Committee includes 13 members from across Canada. Meet them HERE. We are always looking to add new people to the group so please contact us at info@canadianstroke.ca if you would like to nominate someone from your community.

Here, members of our Stroke Community Advisory Committee meet in Ottawa (with others joining in by phone) in June to provide a second-round review of research proposals submitted to the CPSR for funding.

9. We run an efficient organization with more than 86 per cent of CPSR funds invested directly in research and programs. Increased member contributions and corresponding expenditures have resulted in greater in investment in stroke recovery research across the country.  During the current year, the CPSR has boosted program spending by 67 per cent while ensuring administrative costs remain low.  The CPSR is committed to making solid research investments focused on partnerships and collaboration. Read our audited financial statements HERE. 10. We are well-positioned for game-changing discoveries. CPSR is regarded as the leader in stroke recovery research nationally and a model for other countries. With an expanded research base, experienced management team and committed skills-based Board, we are tackling the challenges of stroke recovery by providing shared resources, tools and platforms to catalyze the field of stroke recovery. Learn more about our platforms HERE. Read some of our patient success stories HERE.