Biography

Prof Anne Visser-Meily is head of Research Centre of Excellence in Rehabilitation Medicine Utrecht; this is a collaboration between Brain Center Rudolf Magnus and De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation. The research focuses on 4 neurological diagnosis:  Stroke, ALS/SMA , Spinal Cord Injury and Cerebral Palsy and 3 themes: physical activity, cognition, and (family) empowerment.

Her research questions are very close to the clinical practice and daily life challenges of patients. Despite continuous improvements in medical care, many patients are left with residual physical or cognitive disability after the onset of their neurological condition. Patients and their families need to be able to effectively cope with the condition. Not only to manage persistent physical or cognitive disabilities and prevent secondary health conditions, but also to develop strategies to regain a productive and meaningful life, despite their disabilities.

She is a specialist in the care and research in family empowerment, neuropsychological stroke rehabilitation and neuromsusculair diseases shown by about 160 scientific publications.

Anne Visser-Meily was one of the researchers conducting the a)  large scale Fupro study into long term functioning and its prognostic factors of stroke patients and caregivers ( 2000-2005) and b) the ReStoRe4Stroke study, focusing on psychological determinants of participation of patients and caregiver (2010-2015) and c) Brain4Care study focusing on implementing an intervention aimed at optimizing and facilitation the transition to independent functioning home with emphasis on the patient –caregiver interaction (2015 – 2019).

She is president of the Education group of the Stroke Knowledge Network Netherlands.  She has been president of the Dutch Workgroup on Stroke for many years. She has been part of several committees developing guidelines for stroke patients and caregivers of stroke patients. She  is advisory member of the Brain Injury patient organization (Hersenletsel.nl) and writer of a column in their Magazine

She is editorial board member of the Dutch Journal of Rehabilitation medicine

Research line

Neurological rehabilitation

Selection of peer-reviewed publications in 2015-2017

  2015

• Boosman H, van Heugten CM, Winkens I, Smeets SM, Visser-Meily JM.  Further validation of the Motivation for Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Questionnaire (MOT-Q) in patients with acquired brain injury. Neuropsychol Rehabil 2015

• Ten Brink AF, Visser-Meily J, Nijboer T. Study protocol of ‘prims adaptation in Rehabilitation; a randomized controlled trial in stroke patients with neglect. BMC Neurol. 2015

• Kruithof WJ, Post MW, Visser-Meily JM. Measuring negative and positive caregiving experiences: a psychometric analysis of the Caregiver Strain Index Expanded. Clin Rehab 2015.

• van Mierlo ML, van Heugten CM, Post MW, de Kort PL, Visser-Meily JM. Psychological factors determine depressive symptomatology after stroke Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2015

• Ten Brink AF, Van der Stigchel S, Visser-Meily JM, Nijboer TC. You never know where you are going until you know where you have been: disorganized search after stroke. J Neuropsychol 2015

• 2016

• Kruithof WJ, Post MW, van Mierlo ML, van den Bos GA, de Man-van Ginkel JM, Visser-Meily JM Caregiver burden and emotional problems in partners of stroke patients at two months and one year post-stroke: Determinants and prediction..Patient Educ Couns. 2016 Oct:99(10):1632-40

• Nijsse B, van Heugten CM, van Mierlo ML, Post MW, de Kort PL, Visser-Meily JM. Psychological factors are associated with subjective cognitive complaints 2 months post-stroke. Neuropsychol Rehabil. 2017 Jan;27(1):99-115

• Alsem MW, Verhoef M, Gorter JW, Langezaal LC, Visser-Meily JM, Ketelaar M.Parents' perceptions of the services provided to children with cerebral palsy in the transition from preschool rehabilitation to school-based services. Child Care Health Dev. 2016 jul:42(4):455-63

• Ackermark PY, Schepers VP, Post MW, Rinkel GJ, Passier PE, Visser-Meily JM. Longitudinal course of depressive symptoms and anxiety after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.  Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2016 Jul 14.

• Adriaansen JJ, Ruijs LE, van Koppenhagen CF, van Asbeck FW, Snoek GJ, van Kuppevelt D, Visser-Meily JM, Post MW. Secondary health conditions and quality of life in persons living with spinal cord injury for at least ten years. J Rehabil Med. 2016 Nov 11;48(10):853-860

2017

• Nijsse B, Visser-Meily JM, van Mierlo ML, Post MW, de Kort PL, van Heugten CM. Temporal Evolution of Poststroke Cognitive Impairment Using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Stroke. 2017 Jan;48(1):98-104

• Ketelaar M, Bogossian A, Saini M, Visser-Meily A, Lach L. Assessment of the family environment in pediatric neurodisability: a state-of-the-art review. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2017 Mar;59(3):259-269