Kessler Foundation scientists receive nearly $800,000 in federal grants to advance research in post-stroke neglect and autism

 FYI. You better get your doctors to follow this research because your children and grandchildren may need it when they have their strokes. You can't make any assumption that your stroke hospital follows and implements research.

I'd suggest you call up the hospital president and ask if they have a research analyst whose only job is to monitor and implement stroke research. If they don't have one, YOU DON'T HAVE A FUNCTIONING STROKE HOSPITAL! RUN AWAY!

Kessler Foundation scientists receive nearly $800,000 in federal grants to advance research in post-stroke neglect and autism 

Investigators aim to uncover the role of gaze in post-stroke reading impairments and develop an employment-specific assessment tool for transitional youth with autism

Grant and Award Announcement

Kessler Foundation

image: Kessler Foundation research scientists (from left), Timothy Rich, PhD, OTR/L, Co-Principal Investigators Helen Genova, PhD, and Heba Elsayed, MD. view more 

Credit: Kessler Foundation

East Hanover, NJ – September 11, 2023 – Three Kessler Foundation research scientists, Timothy Rich, PhD, OTR/L, and Co-Principal Investigators Helen Genova, PhD, and Heba Elsayed, MD, have been awarded $777,325 in federal grants by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand research in the fields of neglect dyslexia and autism. These studies may provide major steps towards finding innovative solutions for individuals affected by these conditions.

Dr. Rich, research scientist in the Center for Stroke Rehabilitation Research, was awarded $626,889 to conduct research on “Gaze, Head Rotation, and Neuroanatomic Correlates of Reading Errors in Neglect Dyslexia.” Neglect dyslexia, a reading impairment associated with post-stroke spatial neglect, presents a significant obstacle to achieving functional independence in daily activities. “We aim to delve deeper into understanding the mediating role of gaze in neglect dyslexic errors. By collecting biometric, behavioral, and neuroimaging data, this research will provide valuable insights into the neural networks supporting spatial cognition,” said Dr. Rich. “In addition, the study will contribute to enhancing the detection and classification of visuospatial deficits, ultimately working towards improving the lives of those affected by neglect dyslexia.”

Dr. Genova, associate director, and Dr. Elsayed, associate research scientist for the Center for Autism Research, were awarded a $150,436 grant to collaborate on a study titled, “A Novel Employment Specific Social Communication Assessment Tool for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).” Individuals on the autism spectrum, particularly those in transition age, face higher rates of unemployment. “A key challenge identified by the autism community is social communication differences, which can impact interactions with peers in the workplace,” explained Dr. Elsayed.

“Our study aims to address this challenge by evaluating specific language profiles used by individuals on the spectrum,” said Dr. Genova. “By looking at language patterns across various workplace contexts, we can obtain valuable insights into social communication differences that exist,” she stated. “Furthermore, the project lays the foundation for future studies on how to address these communication differences to improve employment success for individuals on the autism spectrum,” added Dr. Elsayed.

In conclusion, these federal grants will significantly advance understanding of neglect dyslexia and autism, paving the way for innovative interventions and improvements in the lives of individuals with these disabilities. For more information on volunteering for one of these studies, visit the Foundation’s Join a Study webpage.

Funding: National Institutes of Health grants #K01HD109446 and #R02MH132000.

About National Institutes of Health
NIH’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. Scientific and technological breakthroughs generated by NIH research have helped more people in the United States and all over the world live longer, healthier lives. These advancements were achieved by making disease less deadly through effective interventions to prevent and treat illness and disability. For more information, visit https://www.nih.gov/about-nih.

About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research. Our scientists seek to improve cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes, including employment, for adults and children with neurological and developmental disabilities of the brain and spinal cord including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and autism. Kessler Foundation also leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.

Press Contacts at Kessler Foundation:
Deborah Hauss, DHauss@kesslerfoundation.org
Carolann Murphy, CMurphy@KesslerFoundation.org

Kessler Foundation Launches “See the Whole Picture” Campaign to Improve Recovery after Stroke

Except that they will ignore the whole picture that everything in stroke is a failure. 

A 12% chance of getting fully recovered using tPA and only a 10% chance getting fully recovered by rehab.

 

Kessler Foundation Launches “See the Whole Picture” Campaign to Improve Recovery after Stroke

EAST HANOVER, N.J. (PRWEB) May 08, 2019

Anyone caring for a stroke survivor needs to know about hidden disabilities that impede recovery

In recognition of National Stroke Month this May, Kessler Foundation is launching an awareness campaign called “See the Whole Picture” with a new TV public service announcement about the disabling effects of spatial neglect, a common but under recognized complication of stroke, and new options for detecting and treating this hidden disability.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability in the United States. An estimated 7.2 million American adults are stroke survivors striving to recover. This number is likely to increase because the population is aging, and the stroke survival rate is improving. However, stroke survivors continue to regain functional independence after stroke for years with the right rehabilitation. Physical disabilities such as paralysis and weakness are widely recognized, but hidden disabilities can be just as disabling for stroke survivors. “See the Whole Picture” highlights one of these hidden disabilities - a complication called spatial neglect that impairs the person’s ‘internal GPS.’

Spatial neglect is a common complication that often escapes detection, with serious consequences for stroke survivors. Stroke survivors with spatial neglect have difficulty making accurate visual movements and interacting with their surroundings. They have a 6.5 times higher risk of falls, longer hospitalizations, and are 45% more likely to be discharged to a nursing home after rehabilitation. They may be misdiagnosed with dementia or low intelligence, and may never receive treatment for spatial neglect.

According to experts at Kessler Foundation, more than 50% of stroke survivors admitted to rehabilitation hospitals have spatial neglect and would benefit from diagnosis and treatment. Spatial neglect can interfere with performing daily activities such as self-care, reading, and navigating one’s surroundings. Without treatment, individuals with spatial neglect recover more slowly, experience falls and are more likely to need ongoing care.

To raise awareness, Kessler Foundation has released a new 30-second PSA, available in English and Spanish. The PSA portrays a stroke survivor displaying one of the symptoms of spatial neglect – she is painting a picture of a vase of flowers, and is unaware that the left side of her painting is incomplete. This “neglect’ of the left side of her environment affects other activities as well, such as self-care and operating a vehicle or wheelchair. “See the Whole Picture” raises awareness of spatial neglect and the growing number of rehabilitation facilities now offering treatment, using the tools developed at Kessler Foundation, a major center for the study of hidden disabilities affecting stroke survivors.

Stroke survivors who have spatial neglect may:

• forget personal belongings on their left
• fail to dress themselves appropriately on the left side
• fail to react to sudden noises from the left
• ignore food on the left side of the plate
• collide into furniture or a wall on the right or left side
• have difficulty reading, and may veer when driving and navigating their wheelchair
• lack awareness of their own spatial neglect symptoms

Interview our Expert on Spatial Neglect
A.M. Barrett, MD, a cognitive neurologist, is director of Kessler Foundation’s Center for Stroke Rehabilitation Research and is well known for her work in stroke-related hidden disabilities. Dr. Barrett, who appears in the “See the Whole Picture” PSA, led the Kessler team that developed the tools for diagnosing and treating spatial neglect. Her many publications include the emedicine review that is an important resource for professionals.

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1136474-overview

Dr. Barrett’s goal is to promote the adoption of neglect assessment and treatment as the standard of care for stroke rehabilitation, and document patient outcomes to support insurance reimbursement.

Online Resources
As part of this campaign, online resources are available for stroke survivors, family caregivers, and medical professionals at KesslerFoundation.org. Here they can learn what spatial neglect is, how it affects stroke survivors, and gain insight into how they can help survivors “See the Whole Picture.” Plus:

• stroke survivors can sign up to be considered for research studies
• caregivers can share their stories about coping with a loved one’s stroke
• professionals can find online training and tools for assessing and treating spatial neglect

Visitors will find additional resources including a list of the facilities in the Practice-based Rehabilitation Network (Practice-RRuN), a nationwide network of facilities that offer screening and treatment for spatial neglect. Practice-RRuN facilities have trained professionals to screen stroke survivors with the Kessler Foundation Neglect Assessment Process (KF-NAP™), and treat those with spatial neglect using the Kessler Foundation Prism Adaptation Treatment (KF-PAT™), an evidence-based low-tech intervention based on the use of prism goggles to reset the brain’s ‘internal GPS.’ Professionals can learn more about the protocols and equipment needed to implement these tools at KFLearn.org.

About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, an internationally recognized nonprofit organization, is a leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases or injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation also leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand employment opportunities for people living with disabilities.

Kessler Foundation awarded $50,000 grant to study outcomes of new stroke therapy

In case you want to figure out a way to get to use this therapy. Notice that the ASA, NSA and WSO are not involved, shows you their complete lack of influence in stroke.

Kessler Foundation awarded $50,000 grant to study outcomes of new stroke therapy

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Reviewed by James Ives, MPsychSep 11 2018

Kessler Foundation has been awarded a $50,000 grant by the Charles and Ann Serraino Foundation, Inc. The two-year grant will advance the Foundation's practice-based stroke rehabilitation research to advance the diagnosis and treatment of spatial neglect, a hidden disability that complicates recovery after brain injury, especially right brain stroke.

Ten rehabilitation facilities across the U.S. currently implement Kessler Foundation's spatial neglect assessment and treatment protocols, the Kessler Foundation Neglect Assessment Process (KF-NAP™), and the Kessler Foundation Prism Adaptation Treatment (KF-PAT™). Therapy teams at each center are tracking and reporting their use of these tools. This grant enables investigators at Kessler Foundation to analyze the impact of the care processes--whether, across this network of care providers, this rehabilitation may enhance functional recovery.

"Through this support, we will be able to examine the impact of our treatment program on the recovery and independence of stroke survivors, their successfully returning to home, the community, and the workplace," remarked AM Barrett, MD, director of Stroke Rehabilitation Research at Kessler Foundation. "We expect to confirm numerous previous controlled trials that indicated functional benefit of spatial neglect care, and we believe better recovery will translate into improvements across important clinical benchmarks for stroke rehabilitation, including lower fall rates and higher rates of home discharge," noted Dr. Barrett. "Our aim is to present evidence of enhanced quality care and cost-efficacy with the system. If successful, these results can then be leveraged to influence medical systems and third-party payers to adopt prism adaptation therapy as a standard of care for stroke survivors across the country."

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The Charles and Ann Serraino Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, is dedicated to supporting quality of life for senior citizens. "This gift from the Charles and Ann Serraino Foundation will significantly advance the Foundation's stroke rehabilitation research in the treatment of spatial neglect," said Michele Pignatello, chief development officer of Kessler Foundation. "With this support, senior stroke survivors will gain better access to quality care, which will allow them stay engaged in family life and the community."

"Charles Serraino, who was a former Board member of Kessler Institute, was committed to giving back through accessible and preventative healthcare," remarked Joanne Serraino, President of the Charles and Ann Serraino Foundation. "This grant upholds his vision in providing improved care for seniors who have had a stroke, and ultimately, preserving quality of life. I am happy to partner with an organization that shares the same innovative values as my father, Charles Serraino, and look forward to the future."

Source:

https://kesslerfoundation.org/content/kessler-foundation-receives-grant-study-outcomes-new-stroke-treatment

Dr. Boukrina of Kessler Foundation explores treatments for reading deficits after stroke

This perfectly encapsulates the total incompetency in stroke. No doctor should have to 'explore treatments'. All the stroke recovery protocols should be freely available in a public database so stroke survivors can bring them to their medical staff. No exploration needed.  But our stroke medical leadership can't see this problem staring them in the face.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/kf-dbo012418.php

Mabel H. Flory Charitable Trust funds grant to further reading research at Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation

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East Hanover, NJ January 24, 2018. Olga Boukrina, PhD, research scientist in Stroke Rehabilitation Research at Kessler Foundation, has received a $10,000 grant from the Mabel H. Flory Charitable Trust to continue to study the role of reading deficits as a barrier to stroke rehabilitation, specifically the treatment of aphasia. This is the fifth grant the Flory Charitable Trust has awarded to Kessler Foundation for research on aphasia after stroke.
Reading deficits are common after stroke, causing a range of difficulties with accessing information via print, broadcast, and the internet, creating barriers to everyday activities and return to the workplace. Despite the impact of activities of daily living, few studies have explored the nature of reading deficits and their association with brain damage from stroke.
"Individuals with aphasia often have significant problems with reading," said Dr. Boukrina. "The Trust's funding has enabled us identify people by type of reading problem, i.e., whether their primary problem is with word appearance, word meaning, or word sounds."
The goal of this research is to develop criteria for identifying high-risk patients on brain scan while they are hospitalized. Fundamental to effective intervention is early identification of reading problems. "To identify people early on, we are looking at areas of brain damage that are associated with aphasia and type of reading difficulties," noted Dr. Boukrina. "Using neuroimaging techniques, we have also learned how patients' abilities and brains change over time. We have been able to confirm that the left-hemisphere brain regions involved in typical reading are the same regions that support recovery of the patients' reading ability after stroke. This provides the basis for designing and testing effective interventions to help stroke survivors regain their ability to read."

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Relevant article (open access):
Boukrina O, Barrett AM, Alexander EJ, Yao B, Graves WW. Neurally dissociable cognitive components of reading deficits in subacute stroke. Front Hum Neurosci. 2015; 9: 298. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00298
Dr. Boukrina discusses her research in this Expert Interview podcast.
About Stroke Rehabilitation Research at Kessler Foundation:
Research studies span all domains of post-stroke dysfunction, including cognitive deficits and mobility impairment. Under the direction of A.M. Barrett, MD, stroke scientists also mentor students, resident physicians, and post-doctoral trainees in translational neuroscience of rehabilitation. Cognitive research emphasizes hidden disabilities after stroke, including disabilities of functional vision (spatial bias and spatial neglect) and reading deficits. Mobility research, in partnership with Human Performance & Engineering Research, centers on the application of robotic exoskeletons for stroke rehabilitation. Stroke research receives funding from the National Institute on Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, Department of Defense; the National Institutes of Health/NICHD/NCMRR; New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research, Kessler Foundation; the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey; and the Wallerstein Foundation for Geriatric Improvement. Scientists have faculty appointments at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Kessler Foundation receives Wallerstein Foundation grant to advance stroke rehabilitation research

It seems there might be a protocol for spatial neglect, ask your doctor to find the publicly available location for it. If it is not public it doesn't exist. We need public protocols so we as survivors can take them to our stroke medical professionals and have them implement them with us. The other way where our stroke medical professionals know about and bring those protocols to us has completely failed. Proof by your 'professional' using the statement; 'All strokes are different, all stroke recoveries are different'. This grant is worthless if it didn't contain publishing protocols and results in a publicly available database.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20170822/Kessler-Foundationc2a0receives-Wallerstein-Foundation-grantc2a0to-advance-stroke-rehabilitation-research.aspx

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August 22, 2017

Kessler Foundation was awarded a $250,000 grant by the Wallerstein Foundation for Geriatric Life Improvement. The three-year grant will advance the Foundation's stroke rehabilitation research in the diagnosis and treatment of spatial neglect, a hidden disability that complicates recovery after right brain stroke.
In this project, Kessler Foundation creates a national, practice-based network for spatial neglect treatment and research. Network partners are trained to implement Kessler Foundation's spatial neglect assessment and treatment protocols -- the Kessler Foundation Neglect Assessment Process (KF-NAP™), and the Kessler Foundation Prism Adaptation Treatment (KF-PAT™) -- at 12 rehabilitation centers across the U.S. Therapy teams at each center will report on the use of these tools. The practice-based network will be a key resource to examine outcomes of spatial neglect assessment, and prism adaptation treatment, to assess whether these care processes enhance functional recovery and overall quality of life.

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"This grant enables us to bring our bench-to-bedside treatment program to larger numbers of people recovering from right brain stroke, and produce systematic information supporting its impact" said A.M. Barrett, MD, director of Stroke Rehabilitation Research at Kessler Foundation. "The severity of spatial neglect, which can be measured with KF-NAP, can affect rates of home discharge, an important benchmark for stroke rehabilitative care," noted Dr. Barrett. "We feel that value-based, patient-centered care is advanced when professionals incorporate KF-NAP and KF-PAT in their rehabilitation protocols. This will be obvious when more stroke survivors attain optimal functional recovery and greater independence, which is the pathway to successfully returning to home, the community and the workplace."
The Wallerstein Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in West Orange, NJ, is dedicated to supporting quality of life for the elderly. "The Foundation recognizes the importance of research in helping seniors stay engaged in family life and the community," said Michele Pignatello, chief development officer of Kessler Foundation. "By providing more than half a million dollars for our research since 2000, The Wallerstein Foundation has substantially extended its influence, contributing to the improvement in rehabilitative care for the greater population of stroke survivors."

Source:

https://kesslerfoundation.org/content/kessler-foundation-awarded-major-wallerstein-foundation-grant-stroke-research