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AIDS, ORTHOSES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr C A Young
Walton Centre for Neurology & Neurosurgery, Lower Lane, Liverpool, L9 7LJ, UK; carolyn.young@thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk

Keywords: orthotics; neurological rehabilitation; rehabilitation aids

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The provision of effective aids, orthoses, and environmental control systems for people with neurological disability is particularly challenging because of the spectrum of deficits that arise from disease or damage to the nervous system. Compare cardiovascular or musculoskeletal disease—the former often reduces exercise tolerance and mobility, the latter predominantly mobility, though in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis also upper limb function. However, neurological disorders commonly compromise upper limb use (weakness, sensory loss, ataxia, apraxia, tremor), mobility, special senses of vision and hearing, and cognitive function. The basis of the disability thus may be complex. Rather than mobility reduced by angina or by joint stiffness and pain, mobility in neurological disease may be impaired through a combination of weakness, poor balance, proprioceptive loss, truncal ataxia, field cuts, diplopia on down gaze, and cognitive/perceptual problems.

	AMELIORATING DISABILITY

 
There are several routes to ameliorating disability, and traditionally doctors have been involved in the rehabilitation process . . . [Full text of this article]

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