The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation has approved funding of $72,500 for a study to improve stroke rehabilitation and reduce costly health care services. Principal investigator on the project "Getting a grasp on stroke rehabilitation" is Diane Adamo, PhD, assistant professor in the Physical Therapy program, Department of Health Care Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, (EACPHS) at Wayne State University (WSU).

People who suffer a stroke often show functional decline in the use of arms and legs on one side of the body. This decline affects the ability to care for oneself, resulting in nursing home placement and/or costly home care services. "One reason for less than optimal rehabilitation outcomes is that the less affected extremity does not receive adequate treatment," Adamo said. "This is important because the less affected extremity most likely has undetected motor and sensory deficits that contribute to declines when performing one and two handed tasks."

Through this study, Adamo and her research team expect to find evidence of stroke effects in both extremities and to understand how those effects are related to functional performance in those individuals who were right handed before their stroke. . "These are essential first steps in reshaping stroke rehabilitation for better outcomes, and to improve treatment practices," she said.

Co-investigators on this research study are Kumar Rajamani, MD, DM, associate professor, in the Department of Neurology, WSU School of Medicine, and Vicky Pardo, MHS, DHS, assistant professor in the Physical Therapy program.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation (BCBSM) is the arm of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan that funds research and programs to improve health care in Michigan. The Foundation gives approximately $2.75 million a year in grants to support researchers and nonprofit community organizations as they work to improve health care in Michigan. BCBSM programs build community solutions to critical health care problems, acknowledge excellence in research and support medical and doctoral students interested in health care.

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is committed to advancing the health and well-being of society by preparing highly skilled health care practitioners and conducting groundbreaking research to improve models of practice and methods of treatment in pharmacy and the health sciences.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 28,000 students.