The Neural Correlates of Long-Term Carryover following Functional Electrical Stimulation for Stroke.

The Neural Correlates of Long-Term Carryover following Functional Electrical Stimulation for Stroke.
Neural Plast. 2016;2016:4192718
Authors: Gandolla M, Ward NS, Molteni F, Guanziroli E, Ferrigno G, Pedrocchi A
Abstract
Neurorehabilitation effective delivery for stroke is likely to be improved by establishing a mechanistic understanding of how to enhance adaptive plasticity. Functional electrical stimulation is effective at reducing poststroke foot drop; in some patients, the effect persists after therapy has finished with an unknown mechanism. We used fMRI to examine neural correlates of functional electrical stimulation key elements, volitional intent to move and concurrent stimulation, in a group of chronic stroke patients receiving functional electrical stimulation for foot-drop correction. Patients exhibited task-related activation in a complex network, sharing bilateral sensorimotor and supplementary motor activation with age-matched controls. We observed consistent separation of patients with and without carryover effect on the basis of brain responses. Patients who experienced the carryover effect had responses in supplementary motor area that correspond to healthy controls; the interaction between experimental factors in contralateral angular gyrus was seen only in those without carryover. We suggest that the functional electrical stimulation carryover mechanism of action is based on movement prediction and sense of agency/...

Source: Neural Plasticity - April 14, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Gandolla M, Ward NS, Molteni F, Guanziroli E, Ferrigno G, Pedrocchi A Tags: Neural Plast Source Type: research