Exercise has been proven to enhance brain repair, decrease depression, maintain cognitive function and reduce frailty in stroke survivors. However, stroke survivors don’t always have access to evidence-based exercise programs in the community.
A new research project led by Dr. Ian Graham aims to change this. The $1.2 million project is funded through the Canada Brain Research Fund with financial support from Health Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery (CPSR).
Dr. Graham and his colleagues will start by examining existing exercise programs for stroke recovery across Canada. They will then consult with stroke survivors and other stakeholders, document best practices, help communities with implementation and measure success.
The project is based on Dr. Graham’s successful CAN-IMPLEMENT framework. It could benefit hundreds of thousands of Canadians currently living with stroke disabilities, and many more as stroke survival continues to increase.
“Exercise is crucial for stroke recovery, but evidence-based exercise programs are not always available for stroke survivors in the community,” said Dr. Graham, a senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa. “Our research aims to change this.”
See Brain Canada media release or Ottawa Citizen for details.
Team members: Mark Bayley (Co-PI), Marie-Louise Bird, Janice Eng, Michelle Ploughman, Justin Presseau, Julie Richardson, Nancy Salbach, Sharon Straus, Ada Tang, Robert Teasell.
The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion
The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See www.ohri.ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.
University of Ottawa: —A crossroads of cultures and ideas
The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca
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