There are valuable additions on the topic of muscle strengthening and cardiorespiratory training and this

reflects the exponential growth of clinical research in these areas over the last decade. In addition, there are new sections illustrating applications of recent technology (computer-aided therapy, virtual reality, robotic and electromechanical training). There is also a much expanded section on forced use of the upper extremities and bimanual training. Clinicians will appreciate the handy summary boxes which recap different task-specific training protocols. There is a strong focus on stroke in this section with much of the evidence

supported by studies utilizing stroke populations. However, this can be problematic when you move into LGK-974 chemical structure selleck chemicals the stroke chapter of the third section, because you start to wonder if you have already read some of the material. Some additions resulted in a few minor editing problems (eg, the non-weight bearing strength training component discusses sit-to-stand concepts). The third and final section presents seven chapters on different neurological conditions. Each chapter reviews the pathophysiology, signs, and symptoms, clinical assessments and relevant physiotherapy treatments. While there are a few instances where clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are mentioned, I would have liked to see more integration of CPGs as clinicians often struggle to implement information from CPGs into their everyday practice. However, in general,

these disease-specific chapters provide practical and concise information, DNA ligase and it is very helpful to have this information (from pathophysiology to treatment) all in one place. While there is a strong focus on motor and fitness training, these chapters do make the reader consider other important aspects (eg, sexual health, role of family, discharge planning, patient education, community reintegration, communication, cognition, behaviour, etc). There are some gaps. I was disappointed with the limited information on electrical stimulation as the Australian, UK, Canadian, and American guidelines all recommend their use for specific upper or lower extremity conditions after stroke, and some guidelines now also recommend their application for other conditions such as multiple sclerosis. It would have been beneficial to provide some sample protocols of electrical stimulation (electrode placement and stimulation parameters, examples of functional electrical stimulation devices) as was presented with the sections on exercise prescription. Another gap was the limited content addressing the incidence of falls and fractures.