e98Purpose-The aim of this guideline is to provide a synopsis of best clinical practices in the rehabilitative care of adults recovering from stroke. Methods-Writing group members were nominated by the committee chair on the basis of their previous work in relevant topic areas and were approved by the American Heart Association (AHA) Stroke Council's Scientific Statement Oversight Committee and the AHA's Manuscript Oversight Committee. The panel reviewed relevant articles on adults using computerized searches of the medical literature through 2014. The evidence is organized within the context of the AHA framework and is classified according to the joint AHA/American College of Cardiology and supplementary AHA methods of classifying the level of certainty and the class and level of evidence. The document underwent extensive AHA internal and external peer review, Stroke Council Leadership review, and Scientific Statements Oversight Committee review before consideration and approval by the AHA Science Advisory and Coordinating Committee. Results-Stroke rehabilitation requires a sustained and coordinated effort from a large team, including the patient and his or her goals, family and friends, other caregivers (eg, personal care attendants), physicians, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, recreation therapists, psychologists, nutritionists, social workers, and others. Communication and coordination among these team members are paramount in maximizing the effectiveness

2532Purpose-This scientific statement provides an overview of the evidence on physical activity and exercise recommendations for stroke survivors. Evidence suggests that stroke survivors experience physical deconditioning and lead sedentary lifestyles. Therefore, this updated scientific statement serves as an overall guide for practitioners to gain a better understanding of the benefits of physical activity and recommendations for prescribing exercise for stroke survivors across all stages of recovery. Methods-Members of the writing group were appointed by the American Heart Association Stroke Council's Scientific Statement Oversight Committee and the American Heart Association's Manuscript Oversight Committee. The writers used systematic literature reviews, references to published clinical and epidemiology studies, morbidity and mortality reports, clinical and public health guidelines, authoritative statements, personal files, and expert opinion to summarize existing evidence and indicate gaps in current knowledge. Results-Physical inactivity after stroke is highly prevalent. The assessed body of evidence clearly supports the use of exercise training (both aerobic and strength training) for stroke survivors. Exercise training improves functional capacity, the ability to perform activities of daily living, and quality of life, and it reduces the risk for subsequent cardiovascular events. Physical activity goals and exercise prescription for stroke survivors need to be customized for the individual to maximize long-term adherence. Conclusions-The recommendation from this writing group is that physical activity and exercise prescription should be incorporated into the management of stroke survivors. The promotion of physical activity in stroke survivors should emphasize low-to moderate-intensity aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening activity, reduction of sedentary behavior, and risk management for secondary prevention of stroke. (Stroke. 2014;45:2532-2553.)

The movement strategies and the underlying organization of the muscular responses for recovery from a tripping perturbation applied in early and late swing during walking were studied in humans. The latencies of the reflex response (60-140 ms) suggested that polysynaptic pathways are involved. The most common movement outcome was an elevating strategy of the swing limb in response to the early swing perturbation and a lowering strategy in response to the late swing perturbation. The elevating strategy comprised a flexor component of the swing limb and an extensor component of the stance limb. There was a temporal sequencing of the swing limb biceps femoris prior to the swing limb rectus femoris response to remove the limb from the obstacle prior to accelerating the limb over the obstacle. The extensor response of the stance limb generated an early heel-off to increase the height of the body. Thus, the lower limb joints collaborated to increase the height of the centre of mass and provide extra time to extend the swing limb in preparation for the landing. Flexion of the swing limb would be dangerous in response to the late swing perturbation as the swing limb is approaching the ground and the body mass has passed forward of the stance foot. Instead, a lowering strategy was accomplished by inhibitory responses of the swing limb vastus lateralis and/or excitatory responses of the swing limb biceps femoris. Both these responses resulted in a rapid lowering of the limb to the ground with a flat foot or forefoot landing and a shortening of the step length. Thus, in response to the late swing perturbation, the same recovery strategy was achieved by different patterns of muscle activation. These results demonstrate that the recovery strategies provided a functionally appropriate response for overcoming the obstacle and maintaining the ongoing locomotion.

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Study design: Randomized-controlled trials (RCTs), prospective cohort, case-control, pre-post studies, and case reports that assessed pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention for the management of the neurogenic bowel after spinal cord injury (SCI) were included. Objective: To systematically review the evidence for the management of neurogenic bowel in individuals with SCI. Setting: Literature searches were conducted for relevant articles, as well as practice guidelines, using numerous electronic databases. Manual searches of retrieved articles from 1950 to July 2009 were also conducted to identify literature. Methods: Two independent reviewers evaluated each study's quality, using Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale for RCTs and Downs and Black scale for all other studies. The results were tabulated and levels of evidence assigned. Results: A total of 2956 studies were found as a result of the literature search. On review of the titles and abstracts, 57 studies met the inclusion criteria. Multifaceted programs are the first approach to neurogenic bowel and are supported by lower levels of evidence. Of the non-pharmacological (conservative and non-surgical) interventions, transanal irrigation is a promising treatment to reduce constipation and fecal incontinence. When conservative management is not effective, pharmacological interventions (for example prokinetic agents) are supported by strong evidence for the treatment of chronic constipation. When conservative and pharmacological treatments are not effective, surgical interventions may be considered and are supported by lower levels of evidence in reducing complications. Conclusions: Often, more than one procedure is necessary to develop an effective bowel routine. Evidence is low for non-pharmacological approaches and high for pharmacological interventions.