title: Functional MRI using robotic MRI compatible devices for monitoring rehabilitation             from chronic stroke in the molecular medicine era (Review).
abstract: The number of individuals suffering from stroke is increasing daily, and             its consequences are a major contributor to invalidity in today's society. Stroke             rehabilitation is relatively new, having been hampered from the longstanding view             that lost functions were not recoverable. Nowadays, robotic devices, which aid             by stimulating brain plasticity, can assist in restoring movement compromised             by stroke-induced pathological changes in the brain which can be monitored by             MRI. Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of stroke patients participating             in a training program with a novel Magnetic Resonance Compatible Hand-Induced             Robotic Device (MR_CHIROD) could yield a promising biomarker that, ultimately,             will enhance our ability to advance hand motor recovery following chronic stroke.             Using state-of-the art MRI in conjunction with MR_CHIROD-assisted therapy can             provide novel biomarkers for stroke patient rehabilitation extracted by a meta-analysis             of data. Successful completion of such studies may provide a ground breaking method             for the future evaluation of stroke rehabilitation therapies. Their results will             attest to the effectiveness of using MR-compatible hand devices with MRI to provide             accurate monitoring during rehabilitative therapy. Furthermore, such results may             identify biomarkers of brain plasticity that can be monitored during stroke patient             rehabilitation. The potential benefit for chronic stroke patients is that rehabilitation             may become possible for a longer period of time after stroke than previously thought,             unveiling motor skill improvements possible even after six months due to retained             brain plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, NMR Surgical Laboratory, Massachusetts                     General Hospital and Shriners Burn Institute, Harvard Medical School,                     Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Loukas G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Astrakas
authors.forename: Syed Hassan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Naqvi
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kateb
authors.forename: A Aria
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tzika
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D057285:Precision Medicine; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation