June 21, 2000

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Plans are being finalized for the creation of the UAB Taub Therapy Clinic for the rehabilitation of stroke patients utilizing the revolutionary techniques developed by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Professor of Psychology Ed Taub, Ph.D.

The clinic, to be located within the UAB medical center at Spain Rehabilitation Center, is expected to open in September. Dr. Victor Mark, associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, will be the physician working with Taub as the clinic’s co-director.

Earlier this month, Taub and his colleagues transfixed the rehabilitation world with their study published in the journal Stroke demonstrating for the first time that intensive rehabilitation therapy helps stroke survivors’ brains rewire themselves, leading to regained use of a previously unusable limb. The two-to-three-week therapy, called constraint-induced movement therapy, involves restraining the good limb of a stroke survivor and retraining the previously useless limb for six hours a day.

Taub and colleagues demonstrated fairly dramatic, measurable results in a matter of days, even in patients whose strokes occurred years ago.

“This therapy will provide many people with the opportunity to regain the use of what had been seemingly lifeless limbs,” said Dr. Amie Jackson, chair of physical medicine and rehabilitation and medical director of Spain Rehabilitation Center at UAB. “We have a number of therapists who have shown interest in learning the technique and we look forward to providing patients with this therapy in the near future.”

Persons interested in the therapy should call (205) 975-9799.