Is it prime time for spiritual therapy to improve outcomes in neurorehabilitation?
Mayowa Owolabi, MD, DrM, FAAN, FANA, FRCP, FAS, FAAS, FAMedS, Professor of Neurology, pioneer Director, Center for Genomic and Precision Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
The overall goal of neurorehabilitation is to improve the quality of life of people living with neurological disorders, add years to life, add life to years and add meaning to life. The concept of quality of life cannot be understood without understanding the concepts of life, purpose of life, essence of life and nature of human life. An integrative concept of human life: the seed of life model (SOLM) was derived from extensive literature and scriptural research, multidisciplinary consultations and exploration of patient’s belief systems and reinforced by analysis of the philosophies of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz as well as Hartmann’s and Scheller’s theories. The SOLM proposes a dualistic configuration of the human nature comprising the physical and spiritual spheres. There is increasing interest in and scientific publications exploring spiritual aspects of patient care. Is it prime time to expand the philosophy of rehabilitation and investigate interventions beyond healing the body to healing the spirit? If we heal the spirit, through the mind could we also heal the body?
Short Bio
Mayowa OWOLABI, MD, DrM, FAAN, FANA, FRCP, FAS, FAAS, FAMedS is a Professor of Neurology, and pioneer Director, Center for Genomic and Precision Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, Royal College of Physicians, Academy of Medical Specialties, the Nigerian Academy ofScience and African Academy of Sciences. He is an outstanding scientist with several inventions and innovations including the ‘Seed of Life Model’, ‘stroke quadrangle’, and ‘brain quadrangle’, ‘stroke levity scale’, ‘stroke recovery spiral’, and ‘implementation cycle’. He developed the first holistic health-related quality of life in stroke patients questionnaire (HRQOLISP) which is in use across the globe including in Nigeria, Colombia, Germany, Spain, etc. He has over 330 publications with over 77,100 citations with a Google Scholar h-index of 70. He has led over 20 funded research and training grants in stroke including THRIVES, SIREN – the largest study of stroke in Africa, ARISES, SIBS-Genomics, and TALENTS.
He is the pioneer Regional Vice-President, World Federation of NeuroRehabilitation (Africa) and member of the Presidium (WFNR, African Regional Director, World Hypertension League, Foundation Co-Chair, African Stroke Organization and Rapporteur of the World Health Organization (WHO), Technical Advisory Committee on Non-Communicable Diseases (Research & Innovation). He is the Lead Co-Chair, WHO-World Stroke Organization (WSO)-Lancet Commission on stroke. He is the winner of the 2021 WSO Global Award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Stroke Research.
