My main research interests involve 

• Stroke Rehabilitation.
• Development of community based exercise programmes for Cardiac/Stroke sufferers.
• Chronic Ankle Instability.

Stroke Research Group (Director Dr Kenneth Monaghan)

This is a brief overview of my new 'Stroke Research Group' developed in IT Sligo, School of Science. At present, we are involved in a number of different studies all related to stroke rehabilitation.

We have 3 PhD students working on Randomised Controlled Trials versus Placebo in the areas of;

1.      Mirror Therapy & Treadmill Training in Chronic Stroke Patients.
2.      Unilateral Strength Training with Mirror Therapy for Upper Extremity in Chronic Stroke Patients.
3.      Functional Movement Training of Lower Extremity with Mirror Therapy for in Chronic Stroke Patients.

We have 3 Health Science & Physiology Final Year Students piloting studies in the following areas;

1.      An observational study to investigate the potential barriers to exercise regimes post stroke.
2.      An investigation of the experience of stroke in spouses of stroke patients.
3.      An investigation into cognitive function in stroke patients using the Oxford Cognitive Scale (OCS).
 
We also are working with the Cochrane Foundation to finish a full Cochrane Review in the area of 'Physical Interventions for treating spasticity after stroke'. The published protocol can be found at 

Monaghan K, Horgan F, Blake C, Cornall C, Hickey PPM, Lyons BE, Langhorne P. Physical treatment interventions for managing spasticity after stroke (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD009188. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD009188.
 
We have been awarded more than ¿100k over the last 18months and our intention is to be used as a resource by any stakeholders in the North West of Ireland to improve the quality of life of stroke patients, We are very much in collaboration with Dr Paula Hickey (Consultant Geriatrician, Sligo Regional Hospital) & all members of the Stroke services committee, as well as UCD (Dr Catherine Blake) & RCSI (Dr Frances Hickey). 

We have a number of International Collaborators and our Postgrads are intending to visit Universities in Canada (Victoria/Toronto) this year to strengthen their research skills. These main collaborators include;

• Professor E. Paul Zehr (University of Victoria).
• Dr Avril Mansfield (University of Toronto)
• Professor Jimmy Rimmer (University of Alabama).

Please inform your colleges that the group exists and to feel free to contact me or call in to see our excellent research laboratory and facilities at any stage, and chances are that we will contact directly those working in the area of Neurology.
 
We are currently working to develop some stroke outpatient community based exercise classes in our on campus Sports Centre. We are taking advice from the work ongoing in Scotland (Prof Gillian Mead) and hoping to get this programme off the ground in the summer.