Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to introduce the advance of J.Carr and R. Shepherd's A Motor Relearning Programme for Stroke. In the neurosciences, it has been typical to consider the dyscontrol characteristics associated with the upper motor neuron syndrome as positive features and negative features for a long time. Recently Dr. Carr and Dr. Shepherd have proposed another group of characteristics which they call adaptive features, since it appears likely that adaptive changes to neural system, muscles and other soft tissues and adaptive motor behaviors underline some clinical signs. They point out that early rehabilitation and active life should be arranged for the stroke patient. It is the author's suggestion that we should pay more attention to the “disuse syndrome”in training of the stroke patient according to the adaptive features, and we should understand the “misuse syndrome” correctly and we should not neglect to train the muscle strength in correcting the patient's abnormal movement pattern, since the negative features are major reasons for functional disability, together with the adaptive changes that occur in soft tissues as a result of denervation, immobility and disuse.

Key words: stroke, adaptive features, disuse syndrome, early rehabilitation