Research

ICARE (Interdisciplinary Comprehensive Arm Rehabilitation Evaluation)

Approximately six months after having a stroke, about 65 percent of stroke victims are permanently disabled as they are unable to use their weaker arm and hand in daily activities. This functional deficit contributes to a reduced quality of life after stroke. Memorial Rehabilitation at Long Beach Memorial is one of only seven sites in the nation participating in a study about arm and hand recovery after a stroke called ICARE (Interdisciplinary Comprehensive Arm Rehabilitation Evaluation). In collaboration with rehabilitation researchers at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, and National Rehabilitation Hospital, Washington, DC, ICARE will be investigating an experimental arm therapy called ASAP (Accelerated Skilled Acquisition Program).

ASAP combines challenging, intensive and meaningful practice of tasks of the participant’s choice compared to two standard types of therapy. Individuals who have recently had a stroke and are unable to use their arm in daily activities may be eligible to participate in the study. Participants can receive up to 30 hours of one-on-one therapy during 1-3 months after their stroke. The goal of ICARE is to investigate the effectiveness of arm rehabilitation. The Physician Investigators for this five year study funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) are Dr. Richard Adams and Dr. Diemha Hoang.