This Research Topic is the second volume of Research Topic "Translational Research of Occupational Therapy and Neurorehabilitation". Please see the first volume
here.
Occupational therapy (OT) is defined as “a health and rehabilitation profession that assists individuals of all ages who have had an injury, illness, cognitive impairment, mental illness, developmental, learning, or physical disability to maximize their independence” (AOTA). OT has very clear purpose to maximize a patient’s autonomy in all aspects of daily activities, to support them with any kind of deficits and, to express meaning through which organized and intentional performance, so-called “occupation. Treatment sessions of OT focus on engaging patients in significant activities in order to help them in achieving their goals and reach their sufficient level of satisfaction, productivity, and independence. This allows the patients to have a sense of increased competence, self-efficacy, independence, purpose and, especially wholeness.
Emerging research and new technologies provide the research area and clinical practice of OT with treatment strategies and novel devices. Especially, neurorehabilitation (NR) is offering quite promising ideas to help patients with common neurological and cognitive disorders. NR tries to improve the quality of care and to explain the various responses to treatment by analyzing the correlation between central nervous system lesions and clinical findings.
This Research Topic will be open to all authors interested in these new features and approaches in OT and NR. In this topic, we expect our colleagues to submit the emerging researches and cutting-edge technologies that are changing the research paradigm and clinical practice of OT and NR.
Recent studies have suggested that new technologies, such as neuroprosthetics, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, non-invasive brain stimulation, virtual reality and robotic-assisted training, enhance the effectiveness of OT and NR strategies. Brain imaging technologies, such as EEG, MEG, functional MRI, near infrared spectroscopy are also providing non-invasive and objective outcome measures of OT and NR. We welcome all these new approaches in OT and NR.
This Research Topic will welcome Original papers, Reviews, Case Reports, General Commentary, and Opinion focusing on these new features and approaches in OT and NR.