Evidence Based Practice - Sensory Re-education

Question 1

Why is sensation important?

Answer 1

Important to maintain normal cortical representation in the sensory and motor cortices
Somatosensory loss = reduced fine motor control = poor functional outcomes

Question 2

What are the principles of sensory retraining?

Answer 2

Improving neural plasticity by decoding the altered neural impulses

• recoding existing sensory nerves and receptors and the somatosensory tract

Question 3

What are sensory retraining tasks?

Answer 3

Using sensory repeated targeted discrimination tasks

Question 4

How to progress sensory retraining?

Answer 4

remove visual stimuli
prevent anticipation
reduce feedback
Make the discrimination level harder

Question 5

What are the different techniques for sensory retraining?

Answer 5

• texture discrimination
• limb position sense
• tactile object recognition
• mirror therapy for light touch
• temperature and pain
• intermittent pneumatic compression

Question 6

What is essential for sensory retraining?

Answer 6

Active cognitive engagement - via attention and using mental imagery