Mechanisms underlying recovery of motor function after stroke

Abstract

Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability worldwide and a condition for which there is no universally accepted treatment. The development of new effective therapeutic strategies relies on a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying recovery of function. Noninvasive techniques to study brain function, including functional magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroencephalography, and magnetoencephalography, led to recent studies that identified some of these operating mechanisms, resulting in the formulation of novel approaches to motor rehabilitation.

Figures

Figure 1

Brain regions (shown in red) in which there is a negative linear correlation between increases in BOLD (blood oxygen level–dependent) signal during hand grip and outcome in a group of patients with chronic stroke. The center brain is shown from above (left hemisphere on the left), and then clockwise from top left, left medial surface, right medial surface, right lateral surface, and left lateral surface.

Figure 2

Diagram showing possible operational strategies to influence hand function (see “Possible Strategies to Enhance the Human Brain’s Response to Injury” section for details).