ABSTRACT
The hunger for evidence-based treatments is driving the engines of research. The Sections on Research and Neurology of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) are developing projects to assist therapists in identifying the most effective treatments through use of reliable, validated tests and measures. The Evaluation Database to Guide Effectiveness (EDGE) task force provides an online database that continues to review and add information each year. The purpose of a complete evaluation is to identify both obvious and subtle deficits in order to set the stage for an effective continuum of treatment and achievement of realistic goals. Behavioral programming should be superimposed on treatment in either physical or occupational therapy. Although the structure of documentation varies in each clinical setting, a complete sensory evaluation should be performed. Cerebellar reflexes have significant influence on the performance of smooth movements. Most neurorehabilitation clinicians point to abnormal muscle tone as one of the major physiological barriers to full achievement of rehabilitation goals.
