Article

Somatosensory input to the motor cortex may play a critical role in
motor relearning after hemiparetic stroke. The authors tested the
hypothesis that motor recovery after hemiparetic stroke relates to changes in
responsiveness of the sensorimotor cortex (SMC) to somatosensory input. METHODS:
. A total of 10 hemiparetic stroke patients underwent serial functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) during tactile stimulation and testing of sensorimotor
function over 1 year-at early subacute, late subacute, and chronic poststroke
time points. RESULTS: . Over the subacute poststroke period, increased
responsiveness of the ipsilesional SMC to tactile stimulation of a
stroke-affected digit correlated strongly with concurrent gains in motor
function. Increased responsiveness of the ipsilesional and contralesional SMC
over the subacute period also correlated strongly with motor recovery experienced
over the first year poststroke. CONCLUSIONS: . These findings suggest that
increased responsiveness of the SMC to somatosensory stimulation over the
subacute poststroke period may contribute to motor recovery.

Langue : ANGLAIS