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Plasticity of motor cortex excitability induced by rehabilitation therapy for writing

Ilias Papathanasiou, PhD, Saa R. Filipovi, MD PhD, Renata Whurr, PhD and Marjan Jahanshahi, PhD

From the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, and Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Marjan Jahanshahi, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK; e-mail: m.jahanshahi{at}ion.ucl.ac.uk

The mechanisms of rehabilitation-induced plasticity in the motor system after stroke are not defined. The authors studied seven patients with residual poststroke agraphia, aphasia, and right hemiparesis. After a 40-minute rehabilitation therapy that promoted use of the paretic hand for writing, the authors observed a task-specific increase in recruitment of ipsilateral corticospinal pathways. Rehabilitation aimed to increase the use of the paretic hand may induce recruitment of previously silent ipsilateral corticospinal pathways even in poorly recovered poststroke patients.

Received April 8, 2002. Accepted in final form June 17, 2003.

I.P.’s current affiliation is Department of Speech and Language Therapy, Technological Educational Institute of Patras, Greece. S.R.F.’s current affiliation is Burden Neurological Institute, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, UK.

See also pages 881 and 982

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