Framework for Management of Clients With Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Comprehensive Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Approach to Functional Mobility, Activity, and Lifelong Participation

This textbook presents a rigorous, integrated framework for understanding and managing neurodegenerative diseases through physical therapy and rehabilitation science. Written for graduate‑level learners and advanced clinicians, it unites neuroscience, medicine, movement science, technology, and exercise physiology within an activity‑centered model of care. Readers are guided from disease mechanisms and progression to sustained functional mobility, participation, and lifelong physical activity, framing rehabilitation as a continuous, longitudinal partnership rather than episodic treatment. Serving as both a core academic text and an advanced clinical reference, the book addresses the realities of progressive neurologic conditions while affirming the ongoing potential for meaningful movement, performance, and human agency at every stage of disease. What This Textbook Offers Rehabilitation is presented as an interdisciplinary science of function, grounded in scholarship and clinical reasoning. The text bridges theory and practice to support effective decision‑making in complex neurologic care. Key features include - Integrated academic frameworks linking rehabilitation theory, ethics, disability studies, and health systems - Scientific foundations in neuroscience, motor control, neuroplasticity, and physiologic adaptation - Clinical reasoning models for progressive and fluctuating conditions - Medical and rehabilitation medicine perspectives on diagnosis, prognosis, and long‑term care - Physical therapy–driven movement analysis and intervention - Sports medicine principles for load management, resilience, and sustained performance - Technology‑enabled care using wearables, robotics, and tele‑rehabilitation - A clear progression toward activity participation and normal or optimized functional mobility A Lifelong Perspective on Neurodegenerative Rehabilitation Rather than focusing on recovery from a discrete injury, the book addresses conditions that evolve over years. Physical therapy is reframed as preservation, adaptation, and optimization across the lifespan. Readers learn to: - Manage progression while maintaining functional goals - Apply evidence‑based exercise and activity strategies across disease stages - Balance protection, compensation, and performance - Support participation, identity, and quality of life through movement Activity and Functional Mobility as Core Outcomes Early chapters establish health as the capacity to act within one’s environment, not simply the absence of disease. Rehabilitation is framed as an independent science of function, with activity serving as both intervention and outcome. Functional mobility is defined by individual context and participation demands rather than fixed norms, culminating in a focused examination of activity participation as the defining endpoint of rehabilitation practice. Integrated Practice, Technology, and Systems The text aligns physical therapy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation medicine within a shared functional mission, supported by ethical frameworks, modern technology, and health system awareness. Wearables, assistive devices, tele‑rehabilitation, and policy considerations are presented as enablers of sustained activity, guided by clinical judgment. Who This Book Is For and Why It Matters This textbook is designed for DPT students, rehabilitation residents, practicing clinicians, physicians in neurology and rehabilitation medicine, and movement specialists seeking a systems‑level perspective.