Assoc. Prof. Simone Dorsch

Simone Dorsch works part-time as a lecturer in Neurological Physiotherapy at ACU and part-time as a Clinical Specialist in Rehabilitation at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital. She has a Masters of Health Science (Neurological Physiotherapy) and a PhD from the University of Sydney. Her PhD "Increasing Strength after Stroke", included a systematic review of interventions with the potential to increase strength after stroke, descriptive studies investigating the extent of loss of strength after stroke and the relationships between leg strength and walking speed and a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of EMG-triggered electrical stimulation at increasing strength after stroke. She is currently involved in research projects investigating; the use of technology to increase practice and improve outcomes in rehabilitation, the relationships between walking ability and physical activity after stroke and the relationships between changes in impairments and activity after stroke. She regularly teaches workshops on Stroke Rehabilitation nationally and internationally.

Dorsch S, Ada L, Canning CG (2013).EMG-triggered electrical stimulation for very weak upper limb muscles following stroke: a randomised controlled feasibility study. Clinical Rehabilitation. Nov 6. [Epub ahead of print]

Dorsch S, Ada L, Canning CG, Al-Zahrani M, Dean C (2012). The strength of the ankle dorsiflexors has a significant contribution to walking speed in people who can walk independently after stroke: an observational study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 93(6): 1072-6.

Alzahrani M, Dean C, Ada L, Dorsch S and Canning CG (2012). Mood and balance are associated with free-living physical activity of people after stroke residing in the community. Stroke Research and Treatment 2012, 470648.

Sherrington C, Pamphlett PI, Jacka JA, Olivetti LM, Nugent JA, Hall JM, Dorsch S, Kwan MM, Lord SR (2008). Group exercise can improve mobility among older people in an outpatient rehabilitation setting: a randomised controlled trial. Clinical Rehabilitation 22; 493-502.

Ada L, Dorsch S, Canning C (2006). Strengthening interventions increase strength and improve activity after stroke: a systematic review. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy 52; 241-248.

Simone's current research projects include:

• Associate investigator on AMOUNT trial - this is a multi-centre NHMRC funded clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of the use of technology to improve outcomes in rehabilitation. Chief investigators on this trial are;
  • A/Prof Cathie Sherrington, The George Institute, The University of Sydney
  • Prof Maria Crotty, Director of Rehabilitation and Ageing, Repatriation General Hospital and Flinders University
  • Prof Richard Lindley, Professor of Medicine, The George Institute, The University of Sydney
  • Dr Annie McCluskey, The Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney
  • Karl Schurr, Stroke Rehabilitation,  Bankstown Hospital
• Chief investigator on a longitudinal study measuring changes in lower limb strength after stroke and the associations between these changes in strength and improvement in activity in the first year after stroke. Collaborators on this study are; Prof Louise Ada, The University of Sydney
• Investigator on a descriptive study examining the relationships between gait parameters, balance and physical activity after stroke. Collaborators on this study are; Prof Nancy LowChoy, ACU, Mary Lynch, ACU and Emma Taylor, ACU

Implementation of EBP in Stroke Rehabilitation

Associations between Impairments and Activity limitations after Stroke

Strengthening very weak muscles after Stroke

Physical Activity after Stroke

Intensity of practice in Stroke Rehabilitation

Simone has worked in neurological physiotherapy for the last 20 years, at Liverpool Brain Injury Unit and Bankstown Hospital Stroke Unit.  She has held senior positions in both these units and has been the neurology clinical educator at Bankstown Hospital. She has taught neurological physiotherapy on the undergraduate and graduate programmes at the University of Sydney, where she also completed a PhD under the supervision of Professor Louise Ada and A/Prof Colleen Canning. She teaches a workshop, Evidence based retraining of lower limb skills after Stroke, with Karl Schurr and Kate Scrivener, this workshop has been presented widely nationally and internationally. She also teaches workshops on electrical stimulation in stroke rehabilitation and increasing intensity of practice in rehabilitation.

Member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association

NSW representative on the National Neurology Group Committee