fMRI as a molecular imaging procedure for the functional reorganization of motor systems in chronic stroke

 The imaging does nothing for getting survivors recovered, although squeezing the gel ball could help. But since no measurements were taken of hand recovery after the squeezing you can't tell how effective it was.

fMRI as a molecular imaging procedure for the functional reorganization of motor systems in chronic stroke

2013, Molecular Medicine Reports

ASIMINA LAZARIDOU 1,2 , LOUKAS ASTRAKAS 1,2 , DIONYSSIOS MINTZOPOULOS 1,2 , AZADEH KHANCHICEH 3 , ANEESH SINGHAL 4 , MICHAEL MOSKOWITZ 2 , BRUCE ROSEN 2 and ARIA TZIKA 1,2 1 NMR Surgical Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital and Shriners Burn Institute, Harvard Medical School; 2 Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging; 3 Mechanical Engineering, Northeastern University; 4 Department of Neurology, Stroke Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Received February 24, 2013; Accepted March 20, 2013 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2013.1603 Correspondence to: Dr Aria Tzika, NMR Surgical Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Room 261, 51 Blossom Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA E-mail: atzika@hms.harvard.edu 

 

Abstract.  

 

Previous brain imaging studies suggest that stroke alters functional connectivity in motor execution networks. Moreover, current understanding of brain plasticity has led to new approaches in stroke rehabilitation. Recent studies showed a significant role of effective coupling of neuronal activity in the SMA (supplementary motor area) and M1 (primary motor cortex) network for motor outcome in patients after stroke. After a subcortical stroke, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during movement reveals cortical reorganization that is associated with the recovery of function. The aim of the present study was to explore connectivity alterations within the motor-related areas combining motor fMRI with a novel MR-compatible hand-induced robotic device (MR_CHIROD) training. Patients completed training at home and underwent serial MR evaluation at baseline and after 8 weeks of training. Training at home consisted of squeezing a gel exercise ball with the paretic hand at ~75% of maximum strength for 1 h/day, 3 days/week. The fMRI analysis revealed alterations in M1, SMA, PMC (premotor cortex) and Cer (cerebellum) in both stroke patients and healthy controls after the training. Findings of the present study suggest(Well, you didn't power the research enough to create protocols!) that enhancement of SMA activity could benefit M1 dysfunction in stroke survivors. These results also indicate that connectivity alterations between motor areas might assist the counterbalance of a functionally abnormal M1 in chronic stroke survivors and possibly other patients with motor dysfunction.