title: Improved motor recovery after stroke and massive cortical reorganization following Constraint-Induced Movement therapy.
abstract: Constraint-Induced Movement therapy (CI therapy) has been demonstrated to improve motor function and upper extremity (UE) use of persons with hemiparesis resulting from chronic stroke through two separate but linked mechanisms, overcoming learned nonuse, and facilitating use-dependent cortical reorganization. The principles of CI therapy and adaptations of the basic techniques have been used successfully with diagnostic categories other than stroke that involve disability greater than what is warranted by the organic condition of the individual. Because neuroimaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation studies indicate that many of these conditions involve abnormalities of cortical organization, CI therapy might therefore be viewed as a technique that achieves clinical efficacy by correcting disorders of brain plasticity. CI therapy constitutes a new approach to neurorehabilitation and, with continued investigation, elaboration, and application to clinical settings, it seems to hold considerable promise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CPM 712, 1530 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-1170, USA. etaub@uab.edu
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taub
authors.forename: Gitendra
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Uswatte
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001037:Aphasia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications; D004421:Dystonia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena / Q000295:instrumentation; D004576:Electromyography / Q000295:instrumentation; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D020127:Recovery of Function; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*