Neuroplasticity-Based Neurorehabilitation - by Jens Bo Nielsen & Rasmus Feld Frisk & Jakob Lorentzen & Lisbeth Højkjær Larsen (Hardcover)

From the Back Cover

Knowledge of how the brain works has increased dramatically within the past 15-20 years, introducing a powerful framework for developing general guidelines for practical neurorehabilitation. This textbook aims to give an overview of the current knowledge of neurobiology as a basis for deciding how best to help patients recover function after brain and spinal cord injuries.

This book provides an overview of basic neurobiology and its practical application in neurorehabilitation. It explores neuroplasticity, beginning with its origins in neurodevelopmental plasticity and progressing to how scientific knowledge and technological advancements can enhance neuroplasticity and improve neurorehabilitation. Furthermore, a special focus is directed to various neurological disorders to illustrate condition-specific challenges and opportunities. The book benefits from the diverse perspectives of its contributors, who represent various fields. This diversity provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of neuroplasticity-based neurorehabilitation from a range of experts.

This book is mainly intended for pregraduate physiotherapy, occupational therapy and neurorehabilitation students, but it can be of interest also to clinicians (doctors, therapists, nurses, psychologists) working in the field of neurorehabilitation, as part of postgraduate courses and studies.

About the Author

Jens Bo Nielsen is Professor of Human Motor Neuroscience at the Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen. He is also Head of research at the Elsass Foundation which aims to transfer knowledge from basic science into new ways of improving quality of life for people with Cerebral palsy.

Professor Nielsen has been conducting research in how the nervous system controls movement in health and disease for the past 30 years. His research career covers work at the cellular and integrative level in animal models, healthy human subjects and neurological patients, and has led to many national and international collaborations. His main research interests are the pathophysiology of spasticity and neurorehabilitation. One major aim is to develop new health technologies and interventions for people with brain injuries.

Professor Nielsen is the author of more than 300 papers in international peer-reviewed journals, as well as several book chapters, meeting abstracts, medical student textbooks and public science books.

Rasmus Feld Frisk is Associate Professor at the Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen. He has a background as Physical Therapist with clinical experience within neurorehabilitation. He has a Master degree from University of Southern Denmark regarding physical therapy and motor learning from 2014. He finished his PhD degree regarding contributing factors to gait impairments in adults with Cerebral Palsy (CP) in 2018. Afterwards, his research has continued with the focus on investigating contributing factors to impaired gait function in children and adults with CP, including alterations in spinal circuits in relation to sensory feedback, muscle alterations, and fatigue. His research has resulted in more than 10 scientific publications.

Besides research activities, he is Head of studies of the Master's education in Neurorehabilitation at the University of Copenhagen which aims to enhance the use and implementation of knowledge regarding neurobiology and -plasticity in clinical practice.

Jakob Lorentzen is Clinical Professor at the Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, and the Department of Paediatrics at Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet. He leads and supervises projects aiming to transfer knowledge from basic science into clinical practice in neurorehabilitation with special attention to Cerebral Palsy.

He has been trained as a clinician for more than 20 years and has since combined clinical work with research activity focusing on neurosciences, neurorehabilitation, and Cerebral Palsy. He has been involved in several intervention studies focusing on how to improve cognitive and motor deficits after brain lesions in children and adults. These studies have been conducted at the University of Copenhagen in close collaboration with clinical neurological departments at different national and international hospitals.

For the past 15 years, he has been teaching at the PhD, Master's, and Bachelor's levels on regular basis and has given several scientific and popular science talks for professionals within neurorehabilitation and Neuroscience. He is one of the initiators of the Master's education in Neurorehabilitation at the University of Copenhagen.

He authored or co-authored more than 50 papers in international peer-reviewed journals, numerous meeting-abstracts, and book chapters for clinical staff and scientists in neurorehabilitation.

Lisbeth Højkjær Larsen is a researcher at the Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, and the Department of Paediatrics, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet. She has a background in Sports Science and Human Physiology, and she completed her PhD in 2018, concentrating on motor skill relearning in stroke patients. Her research focuses on the physical function and physical health of neurological patients with a specific focus on the application of health technologies. At Copenhagen University Hospital, she contributes to developing and implementing projects aimed at transferring knowledge from basic science to clinical practice in neurorehabilitation.

She has authored or co-authored more than 10 papers in international peer-reviewed journals, as well as meeting abstracts and science communication articles, including a book chapter.

Besides research activities, she is involved in the Master's education in Neurorehabilitation at the University of Copenhagen.