Dr. Rosa Terré, rehabilitation doctor of the Brain Injury Unit and coordinator of dysphagia, at Institut Guttmann gave an interview to IM Medical hospitalier.

In the interview, Dr. Terré explains how is the care of a newcomer to the Institut Guttmann: "the first thing we do is an overall assessment to determine deficits. Then, we orient the treatment to improve or compensate these deficits with the aim of achieving a functional improvement. Once valued each cognitive, motor, communication or swallowing problems, we try to reeducate them with activities of daily living".

The hospitalization of a patient with ictus usually lasts two to three months and may have relapses, then in some cases must be added a period of outpatient treatment that may be about three months. Dr. Rosa Terré considered essential controlling the risk factors of each person. "Once we have found the cause of the ictus, the important thing is to control these risk factors with medication that allow us to prevent further ictus."

However, despite advances in both diagnosis and treatment of ictus, it continues leaving serious consequences for the patient to prevent him to develop normally in their daily lives.

In recent years, technologies have helped in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of ictus patients. "We have introduced techniques such as magnetic stimulation to modulate brain plasticity. Robotic systems have allowed us to advance in motor rehabilitation therapies and have a more repetitive and intensive treatments gait. We have also improved certain aspects of neuropharmacology "says Dr. Terré.

If you want to reed the interview, click here.