title: Neuroplastic Changes Following Brain Ischemia and their Contribution to Stroke Recovery: Novel Approaches in Neurorehabilitation.
abstract: Ischemic damage to the brain triggers substantial reorganization of spared areas and pathways, which is associated with limited, spontaneous restoration of function. A better understanding of this plastic remodeling is crucial to develop more effective strategies for stroke rehabilitation. In this review article, we discuss advances in the comprehension of post-stroke network reorganization in patients and animal models. We first focus on rodent studies that have shed light on the mechanisms underlying neuronal remodeling in the perilesional area and contralesional hemisphere after motor cortex infarcts. Analysis of electrophysiological data has demonstrated brain-wide alterations in functional connectivity in both hemispheres, well beyond the infarcted area. We then illustrate the potential use of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques to boost recovery. We finally discuss rehabilitative protocols based on robotic devices as a tool to promote endogenous plasticity and functional restoration.
authors.affiliation: CNR Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR)Pisa, Italy; Laboratory of Biology, Scuola Normale SuperiorePisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alia
authors.affiliation: CNR Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR) Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spalletti
authors.affiliation: Translational Neural Engineering Area, The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna Pontedera, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Translational Neural Engineering Area, The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna Pontedera, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panarese
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Neurorehabilitation-University Hospital of Pisa Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lamola
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Neurorehabilitation-University Hospital of Pisa Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bertolucci
authors.affiliation: Translational Neural Engineering Area, The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'AnnaPontedera, Italy; CNR Biophysics Institute, National Research Council (CNR)Pisa, Italy; Neural Computation Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Italian institute of Technology (IIT)Rovereto, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vallone
authors.affiliation: CNR Biophysics Institute, National Research Council (CNR) Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Garbo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Neurorehabilitation-University Hospital of Pisa Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chisari
authors.affiliation: Translational Neural Engineering Area, The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'AnnaPontedera, Italy; Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational NeuroEngineering Laboratory, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of BioengineeringLausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Silvestro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Micera
authors.affiliation: CNR Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR) Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caleo
keywords: callosal connections; local field potentials; motor cortex; non-invasive brain stimulation; plasticity; rehabilitation; robotics; stroke