|
Dr. McIlroy is now investigating
whether this internal map changes as we get older. He is
also trying to pinpoint which specific regions of the
brain are involved in balance control.
“As we learn more about how
balance is controlled, it will allow us to better
diagnose people’s balance problems and to better
target treatment,” he explains.
Mobility is tied to so much of what
we do. “All of us are extremely dependent on our
ability to move about for our quality of life. And if
you start to have limitations in that control, that
change in mobility has a profound impact on your life
overall.”
Dr. McIlroy and his colleagues are
busy developing innovative devices to measure and
enhance mobility. For example, they are working on a
“smart” walker that will help users better navigate
the real world, including tight turns and slippery,
uneven surfaces. The walker will eventually include
cueing systems which can alert the user to danger zones
and even prompt them with instructions.
The device will also measure a
person’s balance and mobility outside the lab or
hospital. This will provide therapists with vital
information.
In another project, Dr. McIlroy is
probing new rehabilitation approaches that may help
people recovering from stroke. One study focuses on the
relationship between physical fitness levels and
recovery.
“One of the things that limits
the recovery of people who have had a stroke is not just
their ability to move their limbs but the fact that
their fitness levels are so low they have difficulty in
maintaining activity for extended periods of time,”
says McIlroy.
In a study taking place at Toronto
Rehab, stroke patients are undergoing aerobic training
to see whether this brings cardiovascular health
benefits and improves their walking ability.
Early results suggest “people’s
fitness levels do improve if you train them. Within one
to two weeks after a stroke, it seems feasible to train
people in the way that we are training them.”
Another study by Dr. McIlroy looks
at whether certain pharmacologic agents, such as
amphetamine, can help promote self-repair of the brain
after a stroke.
Dr. McIlroy thrives on the
combination of lab work and interaction with patients.
“These days, that’s what really gets me excited –
the chance to make a difference in an individual’s
life or speed up their rate of recovery.”
|
