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ca re f rom St . Cha rles Hospita l a lso have the potentia l to see ga ins from t ra n scra n ia l ma g net ic st i mu lat ion (TMS), a noninvasive mea ns of acti- vating the bra in via electromag netic i nduction . TMS ha s been show n to i mpr o v e s y mp t om s of d e pr e s s i on in people who have not found relief from other treatments. However, Jun Zha ng, MD, Director of Bra in Injur y Rehabilitation at St. Charles Hospita l, is currently spearheading a clinical trial to eva luate the eectiveness of TMS in helping stroke patients recover certain motor skills. "Specifica lly in patients with stroke, we can facilitate the side of the brain that was aected with high-frequency magnetic stimulation, while simultane- ously emitting a low-frequency magnetic stimulation on the opposite side, thereby changing the way the brain functions," Dr. Semel says. "A number of studies have shown TMS improves recover y of f unction a nd la ng ua ge sk i l ls, for example, as well as depression, which is a per vasive problem in people who have had a stroke. Our study is geared toward eva luating TMS eects on both motor recovery and depression in stroke patients in our unit." TANGIBLE PROGRESS Technolog y appea rs to be the future of not only physica l rehabilitation but neurologic rehabilitation. In the first qua r ter of 2017, St. Cha rles Hospita l plans to begin using Bioness Integrated Therapy System (BITS), a multidisci- plinary, multi-pronged therapy designed to improve visua l and motor functions in individua ls who have experienced disabilities from TBIs and movement disorders. The therapy system oers software housing six primary therapy categories, 24 tota l therapy programs a nd four sta nda rdized a ssessments. B I T S i n c o r p o r a t e s t h i s c o m p l e x software with a large interactive touch- screen display to provide patients with va rious activ ities to improve v isua l motor skills, visua l and auditor y pro- cessing skills, cognitive skills, and endurance skills. "As with the other rehabilita- tive devices we've adopted, our team looked at severa l similar dev ices to BITS , but a cross the board this was the one our therapists rated highest for its ability to work well for stroke patients, as well as those who have sustained concussion and TBIs," Dr. Semel says. "BITS was unanimously selected by our team for its capacity to not only improve patients' abilities to scan their environments, but to also help draw their attention better tha n we had obser ved f r o m f o r m e r, m o r e r u d i m e n t a r y methods, which is a n impor ta nt pa r t of recover y, as stroke patients tend to struggle with attention deficits." EVOLVING TO MEET PATIENTS' NEEDS St. Charles Hospita l not only strives to oer patients the most advanced tech- nologies available to optimize outcomes, but a lso ta kes great care to provide the best ca re possible. A s t he f irst pro- vider on Long Island to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabi litation Faci lities for both outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation for adult and pediatric patients, as well a s stroke specia lt y ca re, St. Cha rles Hospita l aims for the gold standard in a ll areas of rehabilitative care. "I truly believe it's our hospita l's and team's dedication to remaining cutting- edge that sets us apart," Dr. Semel says. "Our g reatest a sset , however, is our team: We have a well-developed, highly and specially trained team of profession- a ls — each of whom is dedicated to not simply helping our patients get home, but to helping them be a s happy a nd functiona lly independent as possible." To l e a r n m o re a b o u t S t . C h a rl e s Hospital's rehabilitation services visit stcharleshospital.chsli.org. ■ Jun Zhang, MD, Director of Brain Injury Rehabilitation at St. Charles Hospital, applies Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) on a post-stroke patient as part of St. Charles Hospital's investigative study exploring how specific areas of the brain may respond. Sunia Choudhury, MA, Research Assistant, St. Charles Hospital, assists Dr. Zhang (not pictured) during a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) session and views placement of the TMS paddles. 1 0❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R F E A T U R E