Right Hemisphere Stroke Center

Overview

People who have suffered a stroke to the brain’s right hemisphere may struggle with problems related to vision and space perception, mood, energy and recognition of their own difficulties. This cluster of deficits is called right hemisphere stroke syndrome.

The Right Hemisphere Stroke Center (RHSC) is a specialized treatment center with outpatient programs developed by Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute researchers and expert rehabilitation clinicians in right hemisphere stroke. It is the only center in the nation devoted to managing the unique needs of patients with right hemisphere stroke syndrome.

The Center is funded in part by an Innovative Program grant from the Albert Einstein Society and Directed by Laurel Buxbaum, PsyD.

About Right Hemisphere Stroke Syndrome

Patients with right hemisphere stroke syndrome may experience one or more of the following:

  • Difficulty seeing on the left side of space. This might include the inability to respond to people or objects on the left. For example, they may fail to eat food from the left side of their plate, or may fail to brush the hair on the left of their head. With partial recovery, they may just be slow to detect things on the left. This is called “spatial neglect”, and may have serious safety consequences.
  • Unawareness of their bodies and surrounding space. For example, they may frequently forget that they are unable to move their left arm or leg the way they could before the stroke. This, too, can have an impact on patient safety.
  • Decreased levels of energy and motivation. Right hemisphere stroke syndrome may be extremely disabling, and may cause frustration for stroke survivors and caregivers alike.

Services

Patients receive targeted treatment for their difficulties, guided by the latest research findings, including:

  • A specialized, brief evaluation designed to triage patients into treatment protocols tailored specifically to their needs.
  • An interdisciplinary assessment and treatment team that meets frequently to review recommendations and treatment results.
  • A Virtual Reality Laboratory (video/YouTube) to assess for the presence of visual and spatial problems that affect everyday life.
  • Targeted treatments for spatial neglect (patient unawareness of objects or people to their left) using prism glasses, as recommended by the latest research.
  • Counseling and education to help stroke survivors and families obtain support and better understand right hemisphere stroke syndrome.
  • Medication treatments, when appropriate, to help address lowered energy or motivation.
  • Follow-up evaluations designed to assess possible needs for adjustments in the treatment recommendations.
  • Data analysis tools developed by researchers to facilitate tracking of improvements during the course of treatment.
  • Family training to facilitate carry over of skills at home.

Location

MossRehab at Elkins Park
60 Township Line Road
Elkins Park, PA 19027

To schedule an evaluation, please call the MossRehab Outpatient Center at 215-663-6354.