Imaging effects related to language improvements by rTMS.

Imaging effects related to language improvements by rTMS. Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2016 Apr 11; Authors: Heiss WD Abstract The functional deficit after a focal brain lesion is determined by the localization and the extent of the tissue damage. Since destroyed tissue usually cannot be replaced in the adult human brain, improvement or recovery of neurological deficits can be achieved only by reactivation of functionally disturbed but morphologically preserved areas or by recruitment of alternative pathways within the functional network. The visualization of disturbed interaction in functional networks and of their reorganization in the recovery after focal brain damage is the domain of functional imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET). Longitudinal assessments at rest and during activation tasks during the early and later periods following a stroke can demonstrate recruitment and compensatory mechanisms in the functional network responsible for complete or partial recovery of disturbed functions. Imaging studies have shown that improvements after focal cortical injury are represented over larger cortical territories. It has also been shown that the unaffected hemisphere in some instances actually inhibits the recovery of ipsilateral functional networks and this effect of transcallosal inhibition can be reduced by non-invasive brain stimutation.Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) can modulate the excitability and...
Source: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience - Category: Neurology Tags: Restor Neurol Neurosci Source Type: research