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Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2022 May 26:15459683221095171. Epub 2022 May 26.

VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore VA Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Background: Repetitive task practice reduces mean upper extremity motor impairment in of patients with chronic stroke, but response is highly variable. A method to predict meaningful reduction in impairment in response to training based on biomarkers and other data collected prior to an intervention is needed to establish realistic rehabilitation goals and to effectively allocate resources.

Objectives: To identify prognostic factors and better understand the biological substrate for reductions in arm impairment in response to repetitive task practice among patients with chronic (≥6 months) post-stroke hemiparesis. Read More

Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2022 May 26:15459683221095166. Epub 2022 May 26.

Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB, Canada.

Background: Motor impairment in the arms is common after stroke and many individuals participate in therapy to improve function. It is assumed that individuals with stroke can adapt and improve their movements using feedback that arises from movement or is provided by a therapist. Here we investigated visuomotor adaptation in individuals with sub-acute and chronic stroke. Read More

J Neurosci 2022 May 23. Epub 2022 May 23.

Center for Neurological Restoration, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195

The robust, reciprocal anatomical connections between the cerebellum and contralateral sensorimotor cerebral hemisphere underscores the strong physiological interdependence between these two regions in relation to human behavior. Previous studies have shown that damage to sensorimotor cortex can result in a lasting reduction of cerebellar metabolism, the magnitude of which has been linked to poor rehabilitative outcomes. A better understanding of movement-related cerebellar physiology as well as cortico-cerebellar coherence (CCC) in the chronic, post-stroke state may be key to developing novel neuromodulatory techniques that promote upper limb motor rehabilitation. Read More

J Spinal Cord Med 2022 May 23:1-5. Epub 2022 May 23.

Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Objective: MLC601/MLC901 has demonstrated neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties that enhance neurological recovery in stroke and traumatic brain injury. We aimed to evaluate its safety and potential efficacy in patients with severe spinal cord injury.

Methods: Patients with American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) A and B were included in an open-label cohort study. Read More

Commun Med (Lond) 2022 7;2:37. Epub 2022 Apr 7.

Department of Neurosurgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA.

Background: Functional recovery of arm movement typically plateaus following a stroke, leaving chronic motor deficits. Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) may be a potential treatment for post-stroke deficits.

Methods: In this n-of-1 trial (NCT03913286), a person with chronic subcortical stroke with upper-limb motor impairment used a powered elbow-wrist-hand orthosis that opened and closed the affected hand using cortical activity, recorded from a percutaneous BCI comprised of four microelectrode arrays implanted in the ipsilesional precentral gyrus, based on decoding of spiking patterns and high frequency field potentials generated by imagined hand movements. Read More

Front Aging Neurosci 2022 6;14:870718. Epub 2022 May 6.

Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Background And Purpose: Increased interhemispheric resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the bilateral primary motor cortex (M1) compensates for corticospinal tract (CST) impairment, which facilitates motor recovery in chronic subcortical stroke. However, there is a lack of data on the evolution patterns and correlations between M1-M1 rsFC and diffusion indices of CSTs with different origins after subcortical stroke and their relations with long-term motor outcomes.

Methods: A total of 44 patients with subcortical stroke underwent longitudinal structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations and clinical assessments at four time points. Read More

Virtual Real 2022 Jun 15;26(2):525-538. Epub 2021 Oct 15.

Neuromuscular and Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory (NeuRRo Lab), Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Mirror therapy is increasingly used in stroke rehabilitation to improve functional movements of the affected limb. However, the extent of mirroring in conventional mirror therapy is typically fixed (1:1) and cannot be tailored based on the patient's impairment level. Further, the movements of the affected limb are not actively incorporated in the therapeutic process. Read More

Front Neurol 2022 29;13:869733. Epub 2022 Apr 29.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States.

Background: Approximately two-thirds of stroke survivors experience chronic upper limb paresis, and of them, 50% experience severe paresis. Treatment options for severely impaired survivors are often limited. Rehabilitation involves intensively engaging the paretic upper limb, and disincentivizing use of the non-paretic upper limb, with the goal to increase excitability of the ipsilesional primary motor cortex (iM1) and suppress excitability of the undamaged (contralesional) motor cortices, presumed to have an inhibitory effect on iM1. Read More

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2022 May 18;31(8):106557. Epub 2022 May 18.

Innovation, IMPlementation and Clinical Translation (IIMPACT) in Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.

Objective: To investigate whether cognitive reserve modifies the relationship between functional connectivity, lesion volume, stroke severity and upper-limb motor impairment and recovery in stroke survivors.

Methods: Ten patients with first-ever ischemic middle cerebral artery stroke completed the Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire at baseline. Upper-limb motor impairment and functional connectivity were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment and electroencephalography respectively at baseline and 3-months post-stroke. Read More

Neuroreport 2022 May 8;33(7):297-303. Epub 2022 Apr 8.

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology.

Objective: Delayed tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment increases the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage in patients with ischemic stroke. We previously demonstrated that tPA treatment caused hemorrhagic complications in a 4-h middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model when administered after reperfusion. In the present study, we administered an anti-high mobility group box 1 (αHMGB1) antibody to 4-h MCAO mice to evaluate the usability of αHMGB1 antibody treatment in the delayed phase of ischemia, beyond the therapeutic time window of tPA. Read More

IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2022 May 20;PP. Epub 2022 May 20.

Standard cognitive assessment tools often involve motor or verbal responses, making them impossible for severely motor-disabled individuals. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are expected to help severely motor-impaired individuals to perform cognitive assessment because BCIs can circumvent motor and verbal requirements. Currently, the field of research to develop cognitive tasks based on BCI is still in its nascent stage and needs further development. Read More

Sensors (Basel) 2022 Apr 26;22(9). Epub 2022 Apr 26.

Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA.

Stroke often leads to the significant impairment of upper limb function and is associated with a decreased quality of life. Despite study results from several interventions for muscle activation and motor coordination, wide-scale adoption remains largely elusive due to under-doses and low user compliance and participation. Recent studies have shown that focal vibration has a greater potential to increase and coordinate muscle recruitment and build muscle strength and endurance. Read More

PLoS One 2022 19;17(5):e0266902. Epub 2022 May 19.

Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus, Aalborg, Denmark.

When listening to music, we often feel a strong desire to move our body in relation to the pulse of the rhythm. In music psychology, this desire to move is described by the term groove. Previous research suggests that the sensation of groove is strongest when a rhythm is moderately complex, i. Read More

Front Neurol 2022 2;13:795788. Epub 2022 May 2.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Gait impairment is one of the most common disorders of patients with chronic stroke, which hugely affects the ability to carry out the activities of daily living and the quality of life. Recently, traditional rehabilitation techniques have been associated with non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques, which enhance brain plasticity, with the aim of promoting recovery in patients with chronic stroke. NIBS effectiveness in improving gait parameters in patients with chronic stroke has been in several studies evaluated. Read More

J Neurophysiol 2022 May 18. Epub 2022 May 18.

Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States.

We identified six novel de novo human KCNQ5 variants in children with motor/language delay, intellectual disability (ID) and/or epilepsy by whole-exome sequencing. These variants comprised of two nonsense and four missense alterations, were functionally characterized by electrophysiology in HEK293/CHO cells, together with four previously reported KCNQ5 missense variants (Lehman, et al., 2017). Read More

Sci Rep 2022 May 17;12(1):8202. Epub 2022 May 17.

Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan.

Cognitive frailty (CF) is a clinical condition defined by the presence of both mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and physical frailty (PF). Elderly with CF are at greater risk of dementia than those with MCI or PF alone, but there are few known clinical or neuroimaging features to reliably distinguish CF from PF or MCI. We therefore conducted a population-based cross-sectional study of community elderly combining physical, cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and multisequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluations. Read More

Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2022 May 16:15459683221100510. Epub 2022 May 16.

Centre for Neuroscience Studies, 4257Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.

Background: Cognitive and motor function must work together quickly and seamlessly to allow us to interact with a complex world, but their integration is difficult to assess directly. Interactive technology provides opportunities to assess motor actions requiring cognitive control.

Objective: To adapt a reverse reaching task to an interactive robotic platform to quantify impairments in cognitive-motor integration following stroke. Read More

Front Cell Neurosci 2022 28;16:876342. Epub 2022 Apr 28.

Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

Stroke is the world's second major cause of adult death and disability, resulting in the destruction of brain tissue and long-term neurological impairment; induction of neuronal plasticity can promote recovery after stroke. C-C chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) can direct leukocyte migration and localization and is a co-receptor that can mediate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) entry into cells. Its role in HIV infection and immune response has been extensively studied. Read More

Brain Stimul 2022 May 10;15(3):758-760. Epub 2022 May 10.

Institute for Neuromodulation and Neurotechnology, University Hospital and University of Tuebingen, Otfried-Mueller-Str. 45, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany. Electronic address:

Front Pharmacol 2022 26;13:851746. Epub 2022 Apr 26.

School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Ischemic stroke elicits white matter injury typically signed by axonal disintegration and demyelination; thus, the development of white matter reorganization is needed. 2,3,5,6-Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) is widely used to treat ischemic stroke. This study was aimed to investigate whether TMP could protect the white matter and promote axonal repair after cerebral ischemia. Read More

Neurology 2022 May 12. Epub 2022 May 12.

Rehabilitation Sciences Graduate Research Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T1B2 Canada.

Background And Objectives: It is difficult to predict post-stroke outcome for people with severe motor impairment, as both clinical tests and corticospinal tract (CST) microstructure may not reliably indicate severe motor impairment. Here, we test whether imaging biomarkers beyond the CST relate to severe upper limb impairment post-stroke by evaluating white matter microstructure in the corpus callosum (CC). In an international, multisite hypothesis-generating observational study we determined if: a) CST asymmetry index can differentiate between individuals with mild-moderate and severe upper limb impairment; and b) CC biomarkers relate to upper limb impairment within individuals with severe impairment post-stroke. Read More

CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets 2022 May 12. Epub 2022 May 12.

Neuroscience Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Stroke is a physiological disorder involving a prolonged local interruption of cerebral blood flow. It leads to massive neuronal death and causes short-term or long-lasting functional impairment. Most stroke victims regain some neural function weeks or months following a stroke, but this recovery can plateau six months or more after the injury. Read More

Theranostics 2022 28;12(7):3131-3149. Epub 2022 Mar 28.

School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 510631, China.

: Demyelination is a major component of white matter injury, characterized by oligodendrocyte (OL) death and myelin sheath loss, which result in memory loss and cognitive impairment in the context of ischemic stroke. Accumulating evidence has shown that OLs can be generated by the direct activation of defined transcription factors (TFs) in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs); however, the rapid acquisition of single TF-induced OL progenitor cells (OPCs) as cell therapy for ischemic stroke remains to be thoroughly explored. : A stable, chemically defined protocol was used to generate a substantial number of transplantable and functional OLs through the partial inhibition of sonic hedgehog (Shh) activity by GANT61 during neural induction from hiPSCs and sequential induction of TF Olig2 overexpression. Read More

Front Aging Neurosci 2022 25;14:875794. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

College of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Bilateral arm training (BAT) presents as a promising approach in upper extremity (UE) rehabilitation after a stroke as it may facilitate neuroplasticity. However, the effectiveness of BAT is inconclusive, and no systematic reviews and meta-analyses have investigated the impact of different factors on the outcomes of BAT. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to (1) compare the effects of bilateral arm training (BAT) with unilateral arm training (UAT) and conventional therapy (CT) on the upper limb (UL) motor impairments and functional performance post-stroke, and (2) investigate the different contributing factors that may influence the success of BAT. Read More

Neural Regen Res 2022 Nov;17(11):2459-2464

School of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent Rehabilitation, Ministry of Education; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Classic paired associative stimulation can improve synaptic plasticity, as demonstrated by animal experiments and human clinical trials in spinal cord injury patients. Paired associative magnetic stimulation (dual-target peripheral and central magnetic stimulation) has been shown to promote neurologic recovery after stroke. However, it remains unclear whether paired associative magnetic stimulation can promote recovery of lower limb motor dysfunction after spinal cord injury. Read More

Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2022 Jun 9;36(6):381-389. Epub 2022 May 9.

Department of Physical Therapy, 8166University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Background: Myelin asymmetry ratios (MARs) relate and contribute to motor impairment and function after stroke. Physical activity (PA) may induce myelin plasticity, potentially mitigating hemispheric myelin asymmetries that can occur after a stroke.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether individuals with higher levels of PA showed lower MAR compared to individuals with lower levels of PA. Read More

Restor Neurol Neurosci 2022 May 4. Epub 2022 May 4.

Neuromuscular and Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory (NeuRRo Lab), Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Background: Despite tremendous advances in the treatment and management of stroke, restoring motor and functional outcomes after stroke continues to be a major clinical challenge. Given the wide range of approaches used in motor rehabilitation, several commentaries have highlighted the lack of a clear scientific basis for different interventions as one critical factor that has led to suboptimal study outcomes.

Objective: To understand the content of current therapeutic interventions in terms of their active ingredients. Read More

PeerJ 2022 28;10:e13329. Epub 2022 Apr 28.

Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Aseer, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Stroke is the foremost cause of death and disability worldwide. Improving upper extremity function and quality of life are two paramount therapeutic targets during rehabilitation.

Aim Of The Study: To investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with trunk-targeted proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions of subjects with subacute stroke. Read More

Cureus 2022 Mar 27;14(3):e23547. Epub 2022 Mar 27.

Department of Physiology, Government Doon Medical College, Dehradun, IND.

Apraxia is a cognitive-motor planning disorder that expresses itself as an inability to perform purposeful and skilled movements in the absence of sensory or motor loss and hampers patients' ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL). ADL is a set of everyday tasks required for personal care and independent living, executed through a complex interaction between sensorimotor integration and motor learning. We have designed a 'Strategy training' program for apraxia patients by reviewing the existing clinical trial literature on the above-said topic per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Read More

J Neurosci Methods 2022 Apr 26;376:109612. Epub 2022 Apr 26.

Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 2W6, Canada; Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada. Electronic address: