The Anatomy of Rehabilitation in the Face of Neurodegeneration

Presented by Kay Wing and Valerie Carter

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Video Runtime: 60 Minutes; Learning Assessment Time: 26 Minutes

Specific neuronal connections are responsible for the endless varieties of human movement. In the face of neurodegeneration, patients will have specific functional deficits depending on the anatomy that is damaged. The ability to understand the functional anatomy of the central nervous system (CNS) is necessary to understand how a person will learn and move with these deficits. This understanding will also help with differential diagnosis of CNS impairments as well as creating and modifying treatment interventions that are specific to patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), and Parkinson’s disease (PD). This course utilizes lecture, demonstration, and multiple patient video examples to enhance learning. This course is Part 1 of a five-part series in which a comprehensive review of the central nervous system is applied with the focus of functional anatomy while aging with degeneration.

Meet your instructors

Kay Wing

Kay Wing, PT, DPT, NCS, is the owner of Southwest Advanced Neurological Rehabilitation (SWAN Rehab), an outpatient rehabilitation facility specializing in the treatment of stroke, traumatic brain injury, and other neurological diseases. She received her physical therapy degree at Northwestern University and her Doctorate of…

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Valerie Carter

Valerie Carter, PT, DPT, NCS, GCS, is a graduate of Northern Arizona University and a board-certified neurological and geriatric specialist. She was awarded the Excellence in Neurologic Education Award by the APTA and is a full clinical professor in the Program of Physical Therapy at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff,…

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Chapters & learning objectives

1. Neuroanatomy and Degeneration

This chapter will review neuroanatomy to help you answer clinical questions. You will be able to apply this knowledge to your patients to influence differential diagnosis, answer questions, and understand the changing issues of neurodegeneration.

2. Functional Anatomy of Cortical and Subcortical Tissues

The CNS takes sensory input and interprets and processes it to enable appropriate motor output. This can be disrupted with aging and neurodegeneration. This chapter will translate the cascade of this input and decode it for appropriate cortical and motor output. This chapter will also enable the therapist to distinguish between deficits of subgroups of cortical tissue, such as the basal ganglia and the cerebellum.

3. Anatomy-Specific Considerations for ALS, MS, and PD

To address the specific functional abilities and limitations of patients with neurodegeneration, the therapist must understand neuroanatomy to discern various clinical characteristics, then direct appropriate interventions throughout the disease process. This chapter will present the timelines of ALS, MS, and PD progression and introduce rationale to apply specific interventions necessary to effectively treat each disease.

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