Rehabilitation in Neurology (REHB90008)

This wholly online subject introduces students to the rapidly evolving field of neurorehabilitation. The theories and the evidence supporting the theories will be reviewed to identify why selected neurorehabilitation approaches are effective for people with neurological conditions. This subject will provide students with an opportunity to critically review their own neurorehabilitation practice in the areas of assessment, analysis and treatment planning. Students will be required to synthesise and interpret the evidence to demonstrate how it could be applied in their own setting to improve their current practice
This subject is divided into modules to allow flexibility for students to choose areas of neurorehabilitation that best match their interests or work context. Similarly, there is flexibility in the assessment tasks to allow students to focus upon areas of neurorehabilitation that are of interest and relevant to their working context.

All students will complete a foundational theory module that reviews the relevant neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and neuropathology that is the basis for understanding theories related to recovery following a neurological injury. Students will then choose two from four modules that best meets their learning interests and/or practice needs.

These modules are:
1. Body Structures and Systems: This module will examine theories and evidence related to neuropathology and recovery at the level of body structure and function. Innovative approaches to the analysis of brain function and changes to brain activity with intervention will be examined and the evidence that is emerging in this area will be evaluated to identify how the knowledge could be applied in the clinical context.
2. Activities and Participation: This module will examine emerging evidence related to the assessment of activities and participation including evaluation with wearable technologies and analysis of movement quality through kinematic analysis. The effectiveness of new therapeutic approaches to improving activity and participation will be examined including the use of virtual reality and robotics.
3. Personal context: This module will examine principles related to the person that are important in neurorehabilitation and will include application of advanced skills related to goal setting, patient interviewing, effective listening and behavior change.
4. Environment: This module will examine the role of the environment in neurorehabilitation including emerging evidence from animal and human studies that show how environmental enrichment affects recovery at the level of body structure and activity. The module will also examine how innovative technologies such as telerehabilitation could be applied to in the neurorehabilitation context.

The final module is an integration and application of the concepts explored during the foundational and selective streams. Students will have an opportunity to further explore the themes that have emerged through student and expert presentations.