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Front Neurosci 2019 29;13:280. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and in approximately 60% of individuals, upper limb deficits persist 6 months after stroke. These deficits adversely affect the functional use of the upper limb and restrict participation in day to day activities. An important goal of stroke rehabilitation is to improve the quality of life by enhancing functional independence and participation in activities. Read More

Clin Rehabil 2019 Apr 12:269215519839165. Epub 2019 Apr 12.

1 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of electrical stimulation in arm function recovery after stroke.

Methods: Data were obtained from the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Scopus databases from their inception until 12 January 2019. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the effects of electrical stimulation on the recovery of arm function after stroke were selected. Read More

Front Neurol 2019 26;10:258. Epub 2019 Mar 26.

Movement Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Science, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs) are an established proxy of corticospinal excitability. As a binary measure, the presence (MEP+) or absence (MEP-) of ipsilesional hemisphere MEPs early following stroke is a robust indicator of long-term recovery, however this measure does not provide information about spatial cortical reorganization. MEPs have been systematically acquired over the sensorimotor cortex to "map" motor topography. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2019 Apr 9;55(4). Epub 2019 Apr 9.

Department of Rehabilitation, Physical and Sports Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Santariskiu g.2, LT-08661 Vilnius, Lithuania.

Background: New technologies to improve post-stroke rehabilitation outcomes are of great interest and have a positive impact on functional, motor, and cognitive recovery. Identifying the most effective rehabilitation intervention is a recognized priority for stroke research and provides an opportunity to achieve a more desirable effect.

Objective: The objective is to verify the effect of new technologies on motor outcomes of the upper limbs, functional state, and cognitive functions in post-stroke rehabilitation. Read More

Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2019 Apr 5. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center Associate Professor of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center Professor and Director, Programs in Occupational Therapy, Vice Chair, Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Assistant Dean, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Simon Baruch Professor and Chair Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Chair, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Physiatrist-in-Chief, New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Objective: This study was designed to examine the feasibility of immersive virtual reality (VR) mirror therapy for upper limb paresis after stroke using a head-mounted display, and provide preliminary evidence of efficacy.

Design: Ten outpatients with chronic stroke, upper limb hemiparesis, and a low predisposition for motion sickness completed a 12-session program of 30 minutes each of immersive VR mirror therapy. The VR system provided the illusion of movement in the hemiparetic upper limb while suppressing the visual representation of the non-paretic side. Read More

J Neurosci 2019 Apr 8. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Brain Research Institute and Department of Health Sciences and Technology, University and ETH Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.

In response to cortical stroke and unilateral corticospinal tract degeneration, compensatory sprouting of spared corticospinal fibers is associated with recovery of skilled movement in rodents. To date, little is known about the molecular mechanisms orchestrating this spontaneous rewiring. In this study, we provide insights into the molecular changes in the spinal cord tissue after large ischemic cortical injury in adult female mice, with a focus on factors that might influence the re-innervation process by contralesional corticospinal neurons. Read More

Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am 2019 05;30(2):301-318

MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland FES Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.

This article describes the application of neuromodulation in different ways to motor recovery, to replace lost function, or to improve function of organ systems for those who have experienced spinal cord injury or stroke. Multiple devices have been developed and are currently available for use whereas others are still in the experimental stage. Multiple uses of neuromodulation are described. Read More

Disabil Rehabil 2019 Apr 5:1-6. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

a Health and Rehabilitation Research Institute , Auckland University of Technology , Auckland , New Zealand.

Objective: To observe upper limb activity patterns of people with stroke during sub-acute rehabilitation to inform the development of treatment strategies for upper limb rehabilitation.

Design: Observational study of upper limb activity.

Methods: Twenty participants admitted for sub-acute rehabilitation following stroke were observed during a week day for 1 minute every 10 min between 7 am and 7 pm. Read More

Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2019 Apr 4;19(5):25. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Harvard Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Spatial neglect is asymmetric orienting and action after a brain lesion, causing functional disability. It is common after a stroke; however, it is vastly underdocumented and undertreated. This article addresses the implementation gap in identifying and treating spatial neglect, to reduce disability and improve healthcare costs and burden. Read More

Front Neurol 2019 20;10:227. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Centre for Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.

Of those people who survive a stroke, only between 40 and 70% regain upper limb dexterity. A number of reviews have suggested that functional electrical stimulation (FES) may have a beneficial effect on upper limb motor recovery. In light of the promise offered by FES and the limitations with current systems a new system was developed (FES-UPP) to support people with stroke (PwS) to practice a range of voluntary controlled, FES-assisted functional activities. Read More

IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2019 Apr 1. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Brain-machine interface (BMI) driven robot-assisted neurorehabilitation intervention has demonstrated improvement in upper-limb (UL) motor function, specifically, with post-stroke hemiparetic patients. However, neurophysiological patterns related to such interventions are not well understood. This study examined the longitudinal changes in band-limited resting-state (RS) functional connectivity (FC) networks in association with post-stroke UL functional recovery achieved by a multimodal intervention involving motor attempt (MA) based BMI and robotic hand-exoskeleton. Read More

Stroke 2019 Apr 4:STROKEAHA118023750. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

From the Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany (S.S.K., E.S., B.C., C.G., G.T.).

Background and Purpose- About 50% to 80% of stroke survivors present with somatosensory deficits. Somatosensory deficits because of an ischemic stroke are determined by the infarct location. However, a detailed understanding of the long-term effect of lesions on somatosensory performance is lacking. Read More

Physiother Res Int 2019 Apr 3:e1775. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.

Objective: This study examined the feasibility of a parallel-group assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial investigating whether task-specific training preceded by aerobic exercise (AEX + TST) improves upper limb function more than task-specific training (TST) alone.

Methods: People with upper limb motor dysfunction after stroke were allocated to TST or AEX + TST. Both groups were prescribed 60 hr of TST over 10 weeks (3 × 1-hr sessions with a therapist per week and 3 × 1 hr of home-based self-practice per week). Read More

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2019 Mar 30. Epub 2019 Mar 30.

Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, MA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, MA.

Background: Leukoaraiosis has been shown to impact functional outcomes after acute ischemic stroke. However, its association with domain specific recovery after ischemic stroke is uncertain. We sought to determine whether pre-existing leukoaraiosis is associated with short-term motor and cognitive recovery after stroke. Read More

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2019 Mar 30. Epub 2019 Mar 30.

Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Istanbul, Turkey.

Objective: To evaluate whether combining fluidotherapy to conventional rehabilitation program provides additional improvements on pain severity, upper extremity functions, and edema volume in patients with poststroke complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Training and research hospital. Read More

Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2019 Apr 2:1545968319840288. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

1 University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Objective: Conduct a systematic review of nonpharmacological interventions applied during sleep to enhance physical rehabilitation outcomes of individuals with a neurological diagnosis.

Data Sources: Three online databases were searched for original research.

Study Selection: Intervention studies were included that used outcome measures of impairment, activity, and/or participation. Read More

Neural Plast 2019 27;2019:9708905. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Department of Applied Physiology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.

Stroke is the second cause of death and more importantly first cause of disability in people over 40 years of age. Current therapeutic management of ischemic stroke does not provide fully satisfactory outcomes. Stroke management has significantly changed since the time when there were opened modern stroke units with early motor and speech rehabilitation in hospitals. Read More

Neuroreport 2019 May;30(7):526-531

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Veterans Health Service Medical Center.

The aim of this study was to identify differences in structural and functional brain connectivity between poststroke mild and severe motor impairment. Twenty-four chronic stroke patients who underwent resting-state functional MRI and diffusion tensor image were retrospectively included. All patients were classified into two groups (mild motor impairment: 11 patients and severe motor impairment: 13 patients) according to their Fugl-Meyer motor assessment score. Read More

Int J Rehabil Res 2019 Mar 28. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Bundang Jesaeng General Hospital, Bundang-gu, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.

Robot-assisted therapy is an effective treatment for stroke patients and has recently gained popularity. Clinicians and researchers are trying to identify predictors to stratify patients for ensuring better stroke rehabilitation outcomes. However, previous studies have reported controversial results regarding the predictors of upper limb recovery after robot-assisted therapy. Read More

Restor Neurol Neurosci 2019 Mar 28. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Background: Intensive robot-assisted arm training in the chronic phase of stroke recovery can lead to clinical improvement. Combinatorial therapeutic approaches are sought to further optimize stroke recovery. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is one candidate to combine with robotic training, as transient increases in excitability and improvements in motor behavior have separately been reported. Read More

Hum Brain Mapp 2019 Mar 29. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Brain Mind Institute and Center for Neuroprosthetics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.

Hand motor function is often severely affected in stroke patients. Non-satisfying recovery limits reintegration into normal daily life. Understanding stroke-related network changes and identifying common principles that might underlie recovered motor function is a prerequisite for the development of interventional therapies to support recovery. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2019 May 18;130(5):781-788. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG, UK.

Objective: Ipsilateral connectivity from the non-stroke hemisphere to paretic arm muscles appears to play little role in functional recovery, which instead depends on contralateral connectivity from the stroke hemisphere. Yet the incidence of ipsilateral projections in stroke survivors is often reported to be higher than normal. We tested this directly using a sensitive measure of connectivity to proximal arm muscles. Read More

Malays J Med Sci 2018 Mar 27;25(2):116-125. Epub 2018 Apr 27.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine 2, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Background: Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in Malaysia. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is one of the new non-invasive modality to enhance the motor recovery in stroke patients.

Objectives: This pilot study compared the motor evoked potential (MEP) changes using different settings of rTMS in the post-ischemic stroke patient. Read More

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2019 24;2019:1204709. Epub 2019 Feb 24.

Faculty of Medicine, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand.

Stroke is recognized as one of the most dangerous killer diseases in Thailand and other countries worldwide. The development of a novel strategy for treating stroke patients is therefore urgently required. The present study investigated the effect of laser acupuncture at the Baihui point on cognitive and functional recovery, neuronal loss, antioxidant enzyme activities, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) activity in the hippocampus in an animal model of focal ischemic stroke. Read More

Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2019 Mar 27:1545968319837289. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

1 National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Background: The strong link between dopamine and motor learning has been well-established in the animal literature with similar findings reported in healthy adults and the elderly.

Objective: We aimed to conduct the first, to our knowledge, systematic review of the literature on the evidence for the effects of dopaminergic medications or genetic variations in dopamine transmission on motor recovery or learning after a nonprogressive neurological injury.

Methods: A PubMed search was conducted up until April 2018 for all English articles including participants with nonprogressive neurological injury such as cerebral palsy, stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury; quantitative motor outcomes; and assessments of the dopaminergic system or medications. Read More

Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2019 Mar 27:1545968319836233. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

3 Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Background: Recent evidence from both monkey and human studies suggests that the reticulospinal tract may contribute to recovery of arm and hand function after stroke. In this study, we evaluated a marker of reticulospinal output in stroke survivors with varying degrees of motor recovery.

Methods: We recruited 95 consecutive stroke patients presenting 6 months to 12 years after their index stroke, and 19 heathy control subjects. Read More

J Physiother 2019 Apr 23;65(2):88-94. Epub 2019 Mar 23.

Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Question: In adults undergoing rehabilitation after stroke, does 1 hour of additional active repetitive reaching per day prevent or reduce upper limb contracture?

Design: Multi-centre, randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis.

Participants: Fifty adults undergoing rehabilitation after stroke who were unable to actively extend the affected wrist past neutral or were unable to flex the affected shoulder to 90 deg.

Setting: Three inpatient rehabilitation units in Australia. Read More

Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2019 Apr 25;33(4):307-318. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

1 Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Background: Camera technique-based mirror visual feedback (MVF) is an optimal interface for mirror therapy. However, its efficiency for stroke rehabilitation and the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear.

Objective: To investigate the possible treatment benefits of camera-based MVF (camMVF) for priming prior to hand function exercise in subacute stroke patients, and to reveal topological reorganization of brain network in response to the intervention. Read More

Brain Sci 2019 Mar 22;9(3). Epub 2019 Mar 22.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Division of Rehabilitation Science, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware Street SE, MMC 388, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.

The 10/20 electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements system often guides electrode placement for transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a form of non-invasive brain stimulation. One targeted region of the brain is the primary motor cortex (M1) for motor recovery after stroke, among other clinical indications. M1 is identified by C3 and C4 of the 10/20 EEG system yet the reliability of 10/20 EEG measurements by novice research raters is unknown. Read More

Cell Transplant 2019 Mar 25:963689719837919. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

1 Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Stroke is a serious worldwide medical condition that causes neurological function disability. Diffusional kurtosis imaging, which measures the non-Gaussianity of water diffusion, has been demonstrated to be a sensitive biomarker in many neuro-pathologies. This study explores the relationship between neural function recovery and transformation of the ischemic lesion and/or corticospinal tract during the sub-acute phase after stroke by using diffusional kurtosis imaging. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2019 May 15;130(5):767-780. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo, Messina, Italy.

Objective: The objective of this study was the evaluation of the clinical and neurophysiological effects of intensive robot-assisted hand therapy compared to intensive occupational therapy in the chronic recovery phase after stroke.

Methods: 50 patients with a first-ever stroke occurred at least six months before, were enrolled and randomised into two groups. The experimental group was provided with the Amadeo™ hand training (AHT), whereas the control group underwent occupational therapist-guided conventional hand training (CHT). Read More

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2019 Mar 20. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Department of Neurophysiology, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, India. Electronic address:

Background: Stroke leads to devastating impact on health as well as quality of life making it one of the leading causes of disability. Restoring the functions of upper extremities after ischemic (ISC) stroke is one of the challenges for rehabilitation. Lack of trained professionals and accessibility to rehabilitation centers are limited in many counties. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2019 May 2;130(5):856-862. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, de Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Objective: We investigated the potential added value of high-density resting-state EEG by addressing differences with healthy individuals and associations with Fugl-Meyer motor assessment of the upper extremity (FM-UE) scores in chronic stroke.

Methods: Twenty-one chronic stroke survivors with initial upper limb paresis and eleven matched controls were included. Group differences regarding resting-state EEG parameters (Delta Alpha ratio (DAR) and pairwise-derived Brain Symmetry Index (BSI)) and associations with FM-UE were investigated, as well as lateralization of BSI and the value of different frequency bands. Read More

Front Neurosci 2019 6;13:53. Epub 2019 Mar 6.

Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.

Loss of motor function is a common deficit following stroke insult and often manifests as persistent upper extremity (UE) disability which can affect a survivor's ability to participate in activities of daily living. Recent research suggests the use of brain-computer interface (BCI) devices might improve UE function in stroke survivors at various times since stroke. This randomized crossover-controlled trial examines whether intervention with this BCI device design attenuates the effects of hemiparesis, encourages reorganization of motor related brain signals (EEG measured sensorimotor rhythm desynchronization), and improves movement, as measured by the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT). Read More

J Neuroeng Rehabil 2019 Mar 20;16(1):42. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Birmingham, UK.

Background: Intensive robot-assisted training of the upper limb after stroke can reduce motor impairment, even at the chronic stage. However, the effectiveness of practice for recovery depends on the selection of the practised movements. We hypothesized that rehabilitation can be optimized by selecting the movements to be practiced based on the trainee's performance profile. Read More

Hum Brain Mapp 2019 Mar 19. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Proprioceptive and motor impairments commonly occur after stroke. Relationships between corticospinal tract (CST) fractional anisotropy (FA) and motor recovery have been identified. However, the relationship between sensory tract microstructure and proprioceptive recovery remains unexplored. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Mar 19;9(1):4841. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.

In the current study, we were interested in investigating whether Low oxygen post-conditioning (LOPC) was capable of limiting the severity of stroke-induced secondary neurodegeneration (SND). To investigate the effect of LOPC we exposed adult male C57/BL6 mice to photothrombotic occlusion (PTO) of the motor and somatosensory cortex. This is known to induce progressive neurodegeneration in the thalamus within two weeks of infarction. Read More

Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2019 Apr 19;33(4):284-295. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

1 Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.

Background: Abnormal muscle co-activation contributes to impairment after stroke. We developed a myoelectric computer interface (MyoCI) training paradigm to reduce abnormal co-activation. MyoCI provides intuitive feedback about muscle activation patterns, enabling decoupling of these muscles. Read More

Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2019 Feb 27. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

CHU Saint-Étienne, French Centre for Paediatric Stroke, Paediatric Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Department, INSERM, CIC 1408, F-42055, Saint-Étienne, France; INSERM, U1059 Sainbiose, Univ Saint-Étienne, Univ Lyon, F-42023, Saint-Étienne, France. Electronic address:

With a birth-prevalence of 37-67/100,000 (mostly term-born), perinatal stroke encompasses distinct disease-states with diverse causality, mechanism, time of onset, mode of presentation and outcome. Neonatal primary haemorrhagic stroke and ischemic events (also divided into neonatal arterial ischemic stroke and neonatal cerebral sinus venous thrombosis) that manifest soon after birth are distinguished from presumed perinatal - ischemic or haemorrhagic - stroke. Signs of the latter become apparent only beyond the neonatal period, most often with motor asymmetry or milestones delay, and occasionally with seizures. Read More

Trials 2019 Mar 15;20(1):168. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Asklepios Kliniken Schildautal, Zentrum für Neurologie, Seesen, Germany.

Background: Stroke patients are often affected by arm paresis, have functional impairments and receive help from professional or informal caregivers. Progressive resistance training is a common intervention for functional impairments after paresis. Randomised controlled trials (RCT) showed benefits for functional recovery after resistance training. Read More

Trials 2019 Mar 15;20(1):165. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Postgraduate program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Background: Shoulder pain is reported to be one of the major challenges faced in the functional recovery of patients in rehabilitation following a stroke. In such cases, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used as an additional therapeutic tool for improvements in central and peripheral pain. The aim of the proposed study is to evaluate the effect of tDCS when combined with upper limb physical therapy on pain intensity and functional improvement in stroke survivors with shoulder pain in the hemiplegic limb. Read More

Cortex 2019 Feb 7;115:264-279. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Support Centre for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Until now tactile agnosia has been reported only in small, but detailed cross-sectional case studies. Here we show that multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) of early diffusion-weighted lesion maps can be used to accurately predict long-term recovery of tactile object recognition (TOR) in 35 subjects with varying hand skill impairment and associated specific daily activity limitation after cortical sensori-motor stroke. Multiple regression analysis revealed the essentially dysfunctional subprocesses for object recognition in the specifically impaired subjects, i. Read More

Front Neurol 2019 19;10:115. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Repetitive focal muscle vibration (rMV) is known to promote neural plasticity and long-lasting motor recovery in chronic stroke patients. Those structural and functional changes within the motor network underlying motor recovery occur in the very first hours after stroke. Nonetheless, to our knowledge, no rMV-based studies have been carried out in acute stroke patients so far, and the clinical benefit of rMV in this phase of stroke is yet to be determined. Read More

Front Neurol 2019 19;10:96. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

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

To investigate the effects of low frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (LF-rTMS) combined with motor imagery (MI) on upper limb motor function during stroke rehabilitation. Hemiplegic upper extremity activity obstacle is a common movement disorder after stroke. Compared with a single intervention, sequential protocol or combination of several techniques has been proven to be better for alleviating motor function disorder. Read More

Clin Rehabil 2019 Mar 13:269215519835889. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

2 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei.

Objective:: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the post-stroke recovery of lower limb motor function.

Data Sources:: We searched the databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase. The randomized controlled trials were published by 25 January 2019. Read More

Neural Plast 2019 4;2019:7092496. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

University of British Columbia, Department of Physical Therapy, Vancouver, Canada.

Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) is a form of noninvasive repetitive brain stimulation that, when delivered over the contralesional hemisphere, can influence the excitability of the ipsilesional hemisphere in individuals with stroke. cTBS applied prior to skilled motor practice interventions may augment motor learning; however, there is a high degree of variability in individual response to this intervention. The main objective of the present study was to assess white matter biomarkers of response to cTBS paired with skilled motor practice in individuals with chronic stroke. Read More

Dev Neurosci 2019 Mar 12:1-16. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.

The incidence of stroke in children is 2.4 per 100,000 person-years and results in long-term motor and cognitive disability. In ischemic stroke, white matter (WM) is frequently injured, but is relatively understudied compared to grey matter injury. Read More

Clin Rehabil 2019 Mar 7:269215519834720. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

1 Stroke Research Group, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Objective:: To evaluate the feasibility of a multicentre, observer-blind, pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a wristband accelerometer with activity-dependent vibration alerts to prompt impaired arm use after stroke.

Design:: Parallel-group pilot RCT.

Setting:: Four English stroke services. Read More

Front Neurol 2019 20;10:126. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

Neurocybernetics and Rehabilitation, Department of Neurology and Stereotactic Neurosurgery, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.

Motor recovery following stroke is believed to necessitate alteration in functional connectivity between cortex and muscle. Cortico-muscular coherence has been proposed as a potential biomarker for post-stroke motor deficits, enabling a quantification of recovery, as well as potentially indicating the regions of cortex involved in recovery of function. We recorded simultaneous EEG and EMG during wrist extension from healthy participants and patients following ischaemic stroke, evaluating function at three time points post-stroke. Read More

J Physiol 2019 Mar 6. Epub 2019 Mar 6.

Institute of Neurosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Key Points: Pairing stimulation of a finger flexor or extensor muscle at the motor point with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex generated plastic changes in motor output. Increases in output were greater in intrinsic hand muscles than in the finger flexor. No changes occurred in the finger extensor. Read More