Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Practice

Communication is essential to quality of life, linked to social interactions, employment, and independence. Verbal communication is judged using speech intelligibility, or how well a speaker is understood. When communication is negatively impacted it affects every aspect of an individual's life resulting in smaller social networks, fewer positive interactions, and higher levels of loneliness.

In 2021, older adults were making up about 13.5% of the global population and projections indicated that by 2030, one in six people would be aged 60 years or more. Aging is associated with a progressive decline in exercise capacity, along with changes in physical function and walking ability, which can influence the performance of daily activities and the preservation of personal independence.

Disasters such as earthquakes and armed conflicts are threats for every child but especially concerning those children having pre-existing neurological impairments. This exacerbates their health challenges as care is further disrupted, resources are scarce, and support systems miss the mark.

Stroke rehabilitation demands innovative approaches to address the diverse physical limitations and functional goals of stroke survivors. Traditional interval training paradigms, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and sprint interval training (SIT), often fall short of meeting the specific needs of this population due to their reliance on sustained or maximal efforts.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major risk factor for dialysis, also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and is closely related to lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Moreover, dialysis patients develop complications including cardiovascular diseases, infections, and malignant neoplasms and have very poor prognosis. 

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord caused by disease, degeneration, or trauma (such as a car accident). The yearly incidence of SCI is believed to be between 40 and 80 cases per million people, while the world health organization (WHO) notes that a precise worldwide prevalence is unknown. Up to 90% of SCI cases have traumatic etiology, however the proportion of spinal cord injuries that are not traumatic seems to be increasing.

Rehabilitation is a fundamental component of health care that focuses on enhancing and restoring functional ability and quality of life for individuals experiencing physical, mental, or cognitive limitations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rehabilitation is an essential component of universal health coverage and primary healthcare (PHC). 

Alcohol related brain damage (ARBD) is a term now widely used across the UK and Europe, though it is also referred to as alcohol related brain injury and neurological impairments in alcohol use disorder. Although often referred to as a “diagnosis”, it does not yet appear in the standard diagnostic manual as a stand-alone diagnosis.

Psychosomatic disorders are highly prevalent in modern healthcare systems, reflecting the intricate interplay between psychological distress, sociocultural stressors, and physical symptomatology. Migration represents one of the major psychosocial stressors of the 21^st century, yet its effects on mental health are highly heterogeneous and influenced by intersecting factors such as gender, socioeconomic position, and discrimination experiences.

Over recent years, the concept of renal rehabilitation has steadily gained acceptance and recognition within numerous medical and allied health specialties. Practitioners such as nephrologists, dialysis and transplantation experts, rehabilitation professionals, nutritionists, nursing staff, physiotherapists, clinical guideline developers, and patient representatives have collectively contributed to expanding awareness and understanding of this vital intervention.