Setting the scene for the Second Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable.

Abstract

The Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable (SRRR) meetings bring together an international group of preclinical and clinical researchers along with statisticians, methodologists, funders and consumers, working to accelerate the development of effective treatments for stroke recovery and to support best-evidence uptake in rehabilitation practice. The first meeting (2016) focused on four recommendation areas: translation of preclinical evidence into human discovery trials; recovery biomarkers to provide knowledge of therapeutic targets and prognosis in human stroke; intervention development, monitoring, and reporting standards; and standardized measurement in motor recovery trials. The impact of SRRR is growing, with uptake of recommendations emerging, and funders exploring ways to incorporate research targets and recommendations. At our second meeting (SRRR2, 2018), we worked on new priority areas: (1) cognitive impairment, (2) standardizing metrics for measuring quality of movement, (3) improving development of recovery trials, and (4) moving evidence-based treatments into practice. To accelerate progress towards breakthrough treatments, formation of an International Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Alliance is our next step, where working groups will take recommendations and build partnerships needed to achieve our goals.