NIH Study on Bimanual Stroke Recovery

Dr. Shailesh Kantak, assistant professor of Physical Therapy at Arcadia University, discusses the National Institute of Health (NIH) grant to study bimanual coordination in stroke recovery.  Most stroke recovery practices focus on unimanual coordination in physical therapy. Dr. Kantak is studying, and developing a strategy, that uses both the strong and weak hand to regain strength and movement.

Dr. Shailesh Kantak is assistant professor of Physical Therapy at Arcadia University and Director of the Neuroplasticity and Motor Behavior Laboratory at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI). In his role at MRRI, Dr. Kantak conducts NIH-funded research to advance understanding of the neural and behavioral basis of control and learning of movement skills with a long-term goal to enhance motor recovery in patients with neurological disorders through innovative application of behavioral and brain stimulation techniques. This includes his recent NIH grant for the approximate amount of $1.9 million for the project “Perceptual motor interaction to improve bimanual coordination after stroke,” which uses different strategies to encourage bimanual coordination between the two hands of a stroke victim to increase strength and function in the weaker hand.  Dr. Kantak holds a doctorate in Biokinesiology from the University of Southern California, as well as a Master of Science in Physical Therapy with a specialization in Neurological Physical Therapy from Mumbai University. He received a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from Seth G.S. Medical College and KEM Hospital at Mumbai University.