Motor Recovery in Stroke Patients

뇌졸중의 운동신경기능 회복

  • Jang, Sung-Ho (Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine Yeungnam University) ;
  • Kwon, Yong-Hyun (Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine Yeungnam University)
  • 장성호 (영남대학교 의과대학 재활의학교실) ;
  • 권용현 (영남대학교 의과대학 재활의학교실)
  • Published : 2005.12.30

Abstract

Stroke is a leading cause of chronic physical disability. The recent randomized controlled trials have that motor function of chronic stroke survivors could be improved through physical or pharmacologic intervention in the stroke rehabilitation setting. In addition, several functional neuroimaging techniques have recently developed, it is available to study the functional topography of sensorimotor area of the brain. However, the mechanisms involved in motor recovery after stroke, are still poorly understood. Four motor recovery mechanisms have been suggested, such as reorganization into areas adjacent to the injured primary motor cortex (M1), unmasking of the motor pathway from the unaffected motor cortex to the affected hand, attribution of secondary motor areas, and recovery of the damaged contralateral corticospinal tract. Understanding the motor recovery mechanisms would provide neurorehabilitation specialists with more information to allow for precise prognosis and therapeutic strategies based on the scientific evidence; this may help promote recovery of motor function. This review introduces several methodologies for neuroimaging techniques and discusses theoretical issues that impact interpretation of functional imaging studies of motor recovery after stroke. Perspectives, for future research are presented.

Keywords