I have watched with growing concern the slow progress in matching new knowledge to clinical practice. In fact, as more research is undertaken and the frame of reference opens out to encompass the wealth of related, but hitherto neglected, issues, the gulfs are widening between academic 'researcher', 'specialist', 'practitioner' and the patient. As a member of the British Stroke Research Group, the British Society of Gerontology and relevant special interest groups of my own profession, and as a clinical practitioner specializing in, and teaching, stroke rehab­ ilitation, the need to bridge these gaps becomes increasingly urgent. This book endeavours to provide some of the missing links in a logical format designed for all medical and related health care professionals, and yet which does not exclude other interested readers. Don't skip the Intro­ duction, it answers some of the obvious questions and explains the layout and language. My thanks go to all the stroke-survivors, and their families and friends, who taught me to question myself and my treatments, and to the many sources of expertise with whom I work or to whom I looked for their enlightened and specialized experience.