“Hyperacute” Stroke Rehabilitation Care: Common Issues and Considerations

Purpose of review: We provide a comprehensive review of current issues and treatment guidelines for stroke rehabilitation in the acute care setting. Recent findings: Neuroplasticity and stroke recovery have been found to start at the onset of injury. As a result, neurorehabilitation beginning in the acute care setting has emerged as a promising management strategy to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Specific treatment and rehabilitation protocols in the acute recovery phase include those that target motor recovery, spasticity, cognitive processes, nutrition, communication, and family dynamics. Summary: Stroke is currently the leading cause of adult disability in the USA and a prominent cause of death. When considering the aging population, it is clear that this disease will continue to grow in its economic, social, and personal costs over the coming years. Given the increasing knowledge on the neurobiology of stroke recovery, there has been an emerging role for early neurorehabilitation in the acute inpatient stroke setting. Many multidisciplinary early rehabilitation interventions have shown to improve patient outcomes; however, additional research is required to optimize patient care for patients with different stroke subtypes and varying degrees of illness severity.