title: Functional MRI of Rehabilitation in Chronic Stroke Patients Using Novel MR-Compatible Hand Robots.
abstract: We monitored brain activation after chronic stroke by combining functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a novel MR-compatible, hand-induced, robotic device (MR_CHIROD). We evaluated 60 fMRI datasets on a 3 T MR system from five right-handed patients with left-sided stroke >/=6 months prior and mild to moderate hemiparesis. Patients trained the paretic right hand at approximately 75% of maximum strength with an exercise ball for 1 hour/day, 3 days/week for 4 weeks. Multi-level fMRI data were acquired before, during training, upon completion of training, and after a non-training period using parallel imaging employing GeneRalized Autocalibrating Partially Parallel Acquisitions (GRAPPA) while the participant used the MR_CHIROD. Training increased the number of activated sensorimotor cortical voxels, indicating functional cortical plasticity in chronic stroke patients. The effect persisted four weeks after training completion, indicating the potential of rehabilitation in inducing cortical plasticity in chronic stroke patients.
authors.affiliation: NMR Surgical Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Shriner's Burn Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Dionyssios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mintzopoulos
authors.forename: Azadeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khanicheh
authors.forename: Angelos A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Konstas
authors.forename: Loukas G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Astrakas
authors.forename: Aneesh B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Singhal
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Moskowitz
authors.forename: Bruce R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: A Aria
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tzika