title: Plasticity of motor cortex excitability induced by rehabilitation therapy for writing.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, and Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: Ilias
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papathanasiou
authors.forename: Sasa R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Filipović
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Whurr
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jahanshahi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001037:Aphasia / Q000209:etiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor; D005260:Female; D006181:H-Reflex; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D010291:Paresis / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000503:physiopathology; D011999:Recruitment, Neurophysiological; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000379:methods*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D014956:Writing