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Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Jun;100(24):e26339

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo.

Abstract: The clinical presentation of stroke is usually more severe in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) than in those with cerebral infarction (CI); recovery of stroke-related muscle paralysis is influenced and limited by the type of stroke. To date, many patients have been treated by neurorehabilitation; however, the changes in the recovery of motor paralysis depending on the type of stroke, ICH or CI, have not been established. This study aimed to determine this difference in improvement of upper extremity paralysis using 2-week in-hospital NovEl intervention Using Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with Occupational therapy (NEURO). Read More

Ann Rehabil Med 2021 Jun 14. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nishinomiya Kyoritsu Neurosurgical Hospital, Nishinomiya, Japan.

Objective: To develop a new prediction model by combining independence in eating and bladder management functions, and to assess its utility in an acute care setting.

Methods: Patients with ischemic stroke who were admitted in our acute stroke care unit (n=250) were enrolled in this study. Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores for eating and bladder management on the initial day of rehabilitative treatment (median, 3 days) were collected as predictive variables. Read More

Neuroimage Clin 2021 May 31;31:102710. Epub 2021 May 31.

Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110 USA. Electronic address:

Objective: To investigate white matter (WM) plasticity induced by intensive upper limb (UL) task specific training (TST) in chronic stroke.

Methods: Diffusion tensor imaging data and UL function measured by the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) were collected in 30 individuals with chronic stroke prior to and after intensive TST. ANOVAs tested the effects of training on the entire sample and on the Responders [ΔARAT ≥ 5. Read More

Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2021 Jun 12. Epub 2021 Jun 12.

Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, Texas. Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Penn State Health, Hershey, Pennsylvania. Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, UTHealth San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.

Objective: Report the prevalence of spasticity and treatment patterns during first-time admission to inpatient rehabilitation following acute stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Retrospective cohort.

Methods: Review of 285 adult patients consecutively admitted to inpatient rehabilitation. Read More

Front Hum Neurosci 2021 24;15:669059. Epub 2021 May 24.

Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States.

: To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of in-bed wearable elbow robot training for motor recovery in patients with early and late subacute stroke. : Eleven in-patient stroke survivors (male/female: 7/4, age: 50.7 ± 10. Read More

Data Brief 2021 Jun 15;36:107146. Epub 2021 May 15.

Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Western Gateway Building, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.

In this work, the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator fingolimod was assessed as a preclinical candidate for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke according to the Stroke Therapy Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) preclinical recommendations. Young (15-17 weeks), aged (72-73 weeks), and ApoE mice (20-21 weeks) fed a high fat diet (all C57BL/6 mice) underwent permanent electrocoagulation of the left middle cerebral artery. Mice received either saline or fingolimod (0. Read More

Front Aging Neurosci 2021 19;13:636184. Epub 2021 May 19.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Either motor training or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could modulate the neural plasticity after stroke. Therefore, synchronizing the two interventions may optimize the efficiency of recovery. In the present study, we aim to investigate the effect of rTMS along with hand grip training on the neurobehavioral and hand functional recovery in one cohort of subacute stroke patients. Read More

Exp Brain Res 2021 Jun 5. Epub 2021 Jun 5.

Department of Psychology and Milan Center for Neuroscience-NeuroMi, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.

Motor learning interacts with and shapes experience-dependent cerebral plasticity. In stroke patients with paresis of the upper limb, motor recovery was proposed to reflect a process of re-learning the lost/impaired skill, which interacts with rehabilitation. However, to what extent stroke patients with hemiparesis may retain the ability of learning with their affected limb remains an unsolved issue, that was addressed by this study. Read More

Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2021 Jul 29;206:106715. Epub 2021 May 29.

Department of Medical & Biological Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea; Department of Radiology, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Republic of Korea; Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Contralateral C7 (CC7) nerve transfer surgery was shown to significantly improve the spasticity condition and the motor function of paralyzed arms. However, the involvement of the white matter tract in the recovery process is not well established. We here investigated the possible biologic explanation for this phenomenon. Read More

J Neurosci 2021 Jun 1. Epub 2021 Jun 1.

Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario

Within the perinatal stroke field, there is a need to establish preclinical models where putative biomarkers for motor function can be examined. In a mouse model of perinatal stroke, we evaluated motor map size and movement latency following optogenetic cortical stimulation against three factors of post-stroke biomarker utility: 1) Correlation to chronic impairment on a behavioral test battery; 2) Amenability to change using a skilled motor training paradigm; 3) Ability to distinguish individuals with potential to respond well to training. Thy1-ChR2-YFP mice received a photothrombotic stroke at postnatal day 7 and were evaluated on a battery of motor tests between days 59-70. Read More

J Neuroeng Rehabil 2021 Jun 3;18(1):94. Epub 2021 Jun 3.

School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA.

Motor learning is fundamental to motor rehabilitation outcomes. There is growing evidence from non-neurological populations supporting the role of visuospatial memory function in motor learning, but current predictive models of motor recovery of individuals with stroke generally exclude cognitive measures, thereby overlooking the potential link between motor learning and visuospatial memory. Recent work has demonstrated that a clinical test of visuospatial memory (Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Delayed Recall) may predict 1-month skill learning in older adults; however, whether this relationship persists in individuals with chronic stroke remains unknown. Read More

Front Physiol 2021 17;12:666171. Epub 2021 May 17.

School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Background: Stroke is a highly disabling condition and is the second leading cause of death globally. Engaging in aerobic exercise is important for the prevention of a recurrent stroke through improving markers of cardiovascular health such as blood pressure and arterial stiffness. While higher intensities of aerobic exercise generally elicit greater cardioprotective effects, little is known about the acute cardiovascular effects of a single session of high intensity aerobic exercise in people with stroke. Read More

Cell Tissue Res 2021 Jun 2. Epub 2021 Jun 2.

Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.

Severe spinal cord injury causes permanent loss of function and sensation throughout the body. The trauma causes a multifaceted torrent of pathophysiological processes which ultimately act to form a complex structure, permanently remodeling the cellular architecture and extracellular matrix. This structure is traditionally termed the glial/fibrotic scar. Read More

Healthcare (Basel) 2021 May 20;9(5). Epub 2021 May 20.

Department of Neuromuscular Disorders and Its Surgery, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Misr University for Science and Technology, Giza 77, Egypt.

Inability to use the affected upper extremity (UE) in daily activities is a common complaint in stroke patients. The somatosensory system (central and peripheral) is essential for brain reorganization and plasticity. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is considered an effective modality for improving UE function in stroke patients. Read More

Brain Sci 2021 May 20;11(5). Epub 2021 May 20.

School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y5, Canada.

Music-supported therapy (MST) follows the best practice principles of stroke rehabilitation and has been proven to instigate meaningful enhancements in motor recovery post-stroke. The existing literature has established that the efficacy and specificity of MST relies on the reinforcement of auditory-motor functional connectivity in related brain networks. However, to date, no study has attempted to evaluate the underlying cortical network nodes that are key to the efficacy of MST post-stroke. Read More

Brain Sci 2021 May 21;11(6). Epub 2021 May 21.

Centre for Chiropractic Research, New Zealand College of Chiropractic, Auckland 1060, New Zealand.

Chiropractic spinal adjustments have been shown to result in short-term increases in muscle strength in chronic stroke patients, however, the effect of longer-term chiropractic spinal adjustments on people with chronic stroke is unknown. This exploratory study assessed whether 4 weeks of chiropractic spinal adjustments, combined with physical therapy (chiro + PT), had a greater impact than sham chiropractic with physical therapy (sham + PT) did on motor function (Fugl Meyer Assessment, FMA) in 63 subacute or chronic stroke patients. Secondary outcomes included health-related quality of life and other measures of functional mobility and disability. Read More

Brain Sci 2021 May 15;11(5). Epub 2021 May 15.

Amsterdam Rehabilitation Research Center|Reade, 1054 HW Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Background: Stroke affects the neuronal networks of the non-infarcted hemisphere. The central motor conduction time (CMCT) induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) could be used to determine the conduction time of the corticospinal tract of the non-infarcted hemisphere after a stroke.

Objectives: Our primary aim was to demonstrate the existence of prolonged CMCT in the non-infarcted hemisphere, measured within the first 48 h when compared to normative data, and secondly, if the severity of motor impairment of the affected upper limb was significantly associated with prolonged CMCTs in the non-infarcted hemisphere when measured within the first 2 weeks post stroke. Read More

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2021 May 29;30(8):105889. Epub 2021 May 29.

Department of Physical Therapy, Tokyo Professional University of Health Sciences, 2-22-10 Shiohama, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0043, Japan.

Objectives: We investigated the relationship between pyramidal tract evaluation indexes (i.e., diffusion tensor imaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-induced motor-evoked potential (MEP), and central motor conduction time (CMCT) on admission to the recovery rehabilitation unit) and motor functions at discharge in patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Read More

Phys Ther 2021 May 31. Epub 2021 May 31.

Beijing Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technical Aids for Old-Age Disability, National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids Beijing, 100176.

Objective: Intermittent sequential pneumatic compression (ISPC) can effectively promote cerebral perfusion and collateral blood supply in patients with stroke. However, the effects of ISPC on cerebral oscillations are still unclear.

Methods: The tissue concentration of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin oscillations were measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy under resting and ISPC conditions in 27 right-handed adult patients with stroke. Read More

J Physiother 2021 May 28. Epub 2021 May 28.

Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Philadelphia, USA; Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.

J Neuroeng Rehabil 2021 May 31;18(1):91. Epub 2021 May 31.

School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Background: Virtual reality and arm cycling have been reported as effective treatments for improving upper limb motor recovery in patients with stroke. Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) can increase ipsilesional cortical excitability, and has been increasingly used in patients with stroke. However, few studies examined the augmented effect of iTBS on neurorehabilitation program. Read More

Neurobiol Dis 2021 May 28;156:105407. Epub 2021 May 28.

Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China. Electronic address:

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) being the most lethal subtype. Neuritin (Nrn) is a neurotropic factor that has been reported to have neuroprotective effects in acute brain and spinal cord injury. However, whether Nrn has a protective role in ICH has not been investigated. Read More

Brain Commun 2021 4;3(2):fcab097. Epub 2021 May 4.

Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.

Recent brain imaging has evidenced that parietofrontal networks show alterations after stroke which also relate to motor recovery processes. There is converging evidence for an upregulation of parietofrontal coupling between parietal brain regions and frontal motor cortices. The majority of studies though have included only moderately to mildly affected patients, particularly in the subacute or chronic stage. Read More

Front Neurosci 2021 14;15:649459. Epub 2021 May 14.

Département de Psychiatrie et de Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche CERVO, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.

Neurological injuries such as strokes can lead to important loss in motor function. Thanks to neuronal plasticity, some of the lost functionality may be recovered over time. However, the recovery process is often slow and incomplete, despite the most effective conventional rehabilitation therapies. Read More

Brain Res 2021 May 28;1767:147536. Epub 2021 May 28.

Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan. Electronic address:

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a subtype of stroke that causes major motor impairments. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to have important roles in neuroplasticity and beneficially contributes to stroke recovery. This study aimed to characterize BDNF expression in the motor cortex after ICH and investigate the relationship between cortical BDNF expression and behavioral outcomes using an ICH rat model. Read More

J Neuroeng Rehabil 2021 05 26;18(1):89. Epub 2021 May 26.

Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Background: Cerebellar electrical stimulation has shown promise in improving motor recovery post-stroke in both rodent and human studies. Past studies have used motor evoked potentials (MEPs) to evaluate how cerebellar stimulation modulates ongoing activity in the cortex, but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here we used invasive electrophysiological recordings from the intact and stroke-injured rodent primary motor cortex (M1) to assess how epidural cerebellar stimulation modulates neural dynamics at the level of single neurons as well as at the level of mesoscale dynamics. Read More

Stroke 2021 May 27:STROKEAHA120030596. Epub 2021 May 27.

Calgary Pediatric Stroke Program, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada. (Z.J., J.Z., B.P., E.Z., A.K.).

Background And Purpose: Perinatal stroke is the leading cause of hemiparetic cerebral palsy resulting in lifelong disability for millions of people worldwide. Options for motor rehabilitation are limited, especially for the most severely affected children. Brain computer interfaces (BCIs) sample brain activity to allow users to control external devices. Read More

Cereb Cortex 2021 May 25. Epub 2021 May 25.

Neurovascular Research Unit, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02129, USA.

The corpus callosum is the largest white matter tract and critical for interhemispheric connectivity. Unfortunately, neurocognitive deficits after experimental white matter lesions are subtle and variable, limiting their translational utility. We examined resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) as a surrogate after a focal lesion in the lateral corpus callosum induced by stereotaxic injection of L-NIO in mice. Read More

Disabil Rehabil 2021 May 23:1-8. Epub 2021 May 23.

Department of Neurology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.

Purpose: The Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) is the most widely used and recommended clinical assessment scale for evaluating sensorimotor impairments in stroke patients, but an official Danish version has not been available. This study aimed to perform a standardized translation and cross-cultural adaptation (TCCA) of the FMA into Danish.

Methods: First, a comprehensive eight-step TCCA procedure including forward and backward translation and step-wise reviewing by proof-reader and bilingual physiotherapists, to ensure conceptual and semantic equivalence was applied to develop a Danish version of the FMA. Read More

Clin Rehabil 2021 May 24:2692155211014362. Epub 2021 May 24.

Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Objective: Many patients with subacute stroke rely on the nonparetic arm and leg to propel manual wheelchairs. We designed a bimanual, lever-driven wheelchair (LARA) to promote overground mobility and hemiparetic arm exercise. This study measured the feasibility of using LARA to increase arm movement, achieve mobility, and improve arm motor recovery (clinicaltrials. Read More