Article

Stroke continues to be a major public health concern in the United States. Motor recovery in the post-acute stages of stroke is possible due to
neuroplasticity, or the capacity of the brain to reorganize. This case
study tracks neuroplastic and motor change in a subject with severe hemiparesis
following an extensive middle cerebral artery stroke.
He had absence of
ipsilesional motor evoked potentials in early evaluations. This report is unique
in that the duration of follow-up evaluation extends nearly 2 years, with
evaluations being performed at 7, 9, 10, 13, 20, and 21 months post-stroke.
METHODS: At each evaluation we used transcranial magnetic stimulation to track
neuroplastic change and the Fugl-Meyer Assessment and the Wolf Motor Function
Test to evaluate upper extremity motor performance. RESULTS: The contralesional
hemisphere showed dynamic change throughout the study period. In contrast, the
ipsilesional hemisphere demonstrated notable change only between 13 and 21 months
post-stroke, with the most dramatic change occurring between 20 and 21 months
post-stroke. Motor performance generally improved throughout the study period.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that substantial neuroplasticity-mediated
motor recovery can occur nearly 2 years after stroke in an individual with severe
post-stroke motor impairment.

Langue : ANGLAIS