Rethinking Stimulation of the Brain in Stroke Rehabilitation Why Higher Motor Areas Might Be Better Alternatives for Patients with Greater Impairments

Going after the pre-motor cortex wouldn't help me at all, most of mine is dead. I wish someone would tackle the extremely difficult problem of moving functions that were in dead areas to new locations. Now that would be worthy of a Nobel prize. You will need to send your doctor after exactly how they are stimulating the PMAs.
http://nro.sagepub.com/content/21/3/225?etoc

1. Ela B. Plow1,2
2. David A. Cunningham1,3
3. Nicole Varnerin1
4. Andre Machado4

1. ¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
2. ²Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
3. ³School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
4. ⁴Center for Neurological Restoration, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

1. Ela B. Plow, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, ND20, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. Email: plowe2@ccf.org

Abstract

Stimulating the brain to drive its adaptive plastic potential is promising to accelerate rehabilitative outcomes in stroke. The ipsilesional primary motor cortex (M1) is invariably facilitated. However, evidence supporting its efficacy is divided, indicating that we may have overgeneralized its potential. Since the M1 and its corticospinal output are frequently damaged in patients with serious lesions and impairments, ipsilesional premotor areas (PMAs) could be useful alternates instead. We base our premise on their higher probability of survival, greater descending projections, and adaptive potential, which is causal for recovery across the seriously impaired. Using a conceptual model, we describe how chronically stimulating PMAs would strongly affect key mechanisms of stroke motor recovery, such as facilitating the plasticity of alternate descending output, restoring interhemispheric balance, and establishing widespread connectivity. Although at this time it is difficult to predict whether PMAs would be “better,” it is important to at least investigate whether they are reasonable substitutes for the M1. Even if the stimulation of the M1 may benefit those with maximum recovery potential, while that of PMAs may only help the more disadvantaged, it may still be reasonable to achieve some recovery across the majority rather than stimulate a single locus fated to be inconsistently effective across all.