Spotlight on research

Spotlight on research

Stepping after a stroke

Andrea Behrman

Stroke patients regain walking ability through at-home strength and balance exercise provided by a physical therapist just as well as when they participate in programs that practice the actual task of walking using a treadmill and partial body weight support, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers also revealed that patients continue to make strides in their therapy up to one year after a stroke, longer than typically expected. “For individuals who have suffered a stroke, the findings of this trial offer good news for improving walking within the first year post-stroke through intense physical therapy interventions,” said Andrea Behrman, Ph.D., co-principal investigator and an associate professor in the department of physical therapy. — Jill Pease

 

CTSI receives $1.25 million

The UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute has received three grants totaling $1.25 million from the National Institutes of Health to support research that will expand opportunities to conduct community-based clinical research in Florida, offer personalized medicine to patients and improve clinical trial design. The three projects involve teams of researchers from multiple colleges at UF as well as other universities, including Florida State University. Leading investigators on the three projects include Russell Bauer, Ph.D., Michael Muszynski, M.D., and Elizabeth Shenkman, Ph.D., Julie A. Johnson, Pharm.D., and John A. Kairalla, Ph.D. — Claire Baralt