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Epidural Cortical Stimulation as Adjunctive Treatment for Nonfluent Aphasia: Phase 1 Clinical Trial Follow-up Findings
Conclusions. Improvements were generally maintained for at least 12 weeks posttreatment and possibly as long as 21 months posttreatment. Epidural CS is a potentially safe, feasible adjunctive intervention for persons with chronic nonfluent aphasia that spares the ventral premotor cortex and warrants further investigation. (Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair)
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - January 27, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Cherney, L. R. Tags: Clinical Research Articles Source Type: research

Epidural Cortical Stimulation as a Treatment for Poststroke Aphasia: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Underlying Neurophysiological Mechanisms
Conclusions. Due to the small number of existing cases in the literature, the strength of the evidence is still low. Two main hypotheses of neurobiological mechanisms have been explored: either using continuous stimulation to modify cortical perilesional inhibition or using intermittent stimulation during the speech and language therapy sessions to explore synaptic plasticity and long-term potentiation or depression. To establish the role of epidural stimulation and the relevant stimulation protocols and parameters, large randomized controlled trials are mandatory. We suggest avenues of investigation. (Source: Neurorehabil...
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - January 27, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Balossier, A., Etard, O., Descat, C., Vivien, D., Emery, E. Tags: Clinical Research Articles Source Type: research

Epidural Electrical Stimulation for Stroke Rehabilitation: Results of the Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Single-Blinded Everest Trial
Conclusions. The primary analysis pertaining to efficacy of EECS during upper limb motor rehabilitation in chronic stroke patients was negative at 4 weeks postrehabilitation. A better treatment response was observed in a subset of patients eliciting stimulation induced upper limb movements during motor threshold assessments performed prior to each rehabilitation session. Post hoc comparisons indicated treatment effect differences at 24 weeks, with the control group showing significant decline in the combined primary outcome measure relative to the investigational group. These results have the potential to inform future chr...
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - January 27, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Levy, R. M., Harvey, R. L., Kissela, B. M., Winstein, C. J., Lutsep, H. L., Parrish, T. B., Cramer, S. C., Venkatesan, L. Tags: Clinical Research Articles Source Type: research

Abstracts from the 2015 Annual Meeting
(Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair)
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - January 27, 2016 Category: Neurology Tags: Meeting Abstracts Source Type: research

Motor Cortex and Motor Cortical Interhemispheric Communication in Walking After Stroke: The Roles of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Animal Models in Our Current and Future Understanding
Despite the plethora of human neurophysiological research, the bilateral involvement of the leg motor cortical areas and their interhemispheric interaction during both normal and impaired human walking is poorly understood. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), we have expanded our understanding of the role upper-extremity motor cortical areas play in normal movements and how stroke alters this role, and probed the efficacy of interventions to improve post-stroke arm function. However, similar investigations of the legs have lagged behind, in part, due to the anatomical difficulty in using TMS to stimulate the leg...
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - December 14, 2015 Category: Neurology Authors: Charalambous, C. C., Bowden, M. G., Adkins, D. L. Tags: Basic Research Article Source Type: research

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Mortality: Interrelationships Between Genetics and Acute Systemic and Central Nervous System BDNF Profiles
Conclusions. BDNF levels predicted mortality, in addition to gene * age interactions, suggesting levels capture additional mortality risk. Higher CSF BDNF post-TBI may be detrimental due to injury and age-related increases in pro-apoptotic BDNF target receptors. Negative CSF and serum BDNF correlations post-TBI suggest blood–brain barrier transit alterations. Understanding BDNF signaling in neuronal survival, plasticity, and autonomic function may inform treatment. (Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair)
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - December 14, 2015 Category: Neurology Authors: Failla, M. D., Conley, Y. P., Wagner, A. K. Tags: Clinical Research Articles Source Type: research

Noninvasive Neuromodulation in Poststroke Gait Disorders: Rationale, Feasibility, and State of the Art
This article is a selective review about functional investigations addressing the mechanisms of lower-limb motor system reorganization after stroke and the application of NIBS for neurorehabilitation. (Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair)
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - December 14, 2015 Category: Neurology Authors: Chieffo, R., Comi, G., Leocani, L. Tags: Clinical Research Articles Source Type: research

Lesion Characteristics of Individuals With Upper Limb Spasticity After Stroke
This study explores the relationship between lesion location and volume and upper limb spasticity after stroke. Ninety-seven stroke patients (51 with spasticity) were included in the analysis (age = 67.5 ± 13.3 years, 57 males). Lesions were traced from computed tomography and magnetic resonance images and coregistered to a symmetrical brain template. Lesion overlays from the nonspastic group were subtracted from the spastic group to determine the regions of the brain more commonly lesioned in spastic patients. Similar analysis was performed across groups of participants whose upper limb (elbow or wrist) Modified As...
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - December 14, 2015 Category: Neurology Authors: Cheung, D. K., Climans, S. A., Black, S. E., Gao, F., Szilagyi, G. M., Mochizuki, G. Tags: Clinical Research Articles Source Type: research

Dynamic Changes in White Matter Abnormalities Correlate With Late Improvement and Deterioration Following TBI: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study
Conclusions. These data can provide further insight into early and late pathophysiology, and begin to provide a framework that allows magnetic resonance imaging to be used as an imaging biomarker of therapy response. Knowledge of the temporal pattern of changes in TBI patient populations also provides a contextual framework for assessing imaging changes in individuals at any given time point. (Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair)
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - December 14, 2015 Category: Neurology Authors: Newcombe, V. F. J., Correia, M. M., Ledig, C., Abate, M. G., Outtrim, J. G., Chatfield, D., Geeraerts, T., Manktelow, A. E., Garyfallidis, E., Pickard, J. D., Sahakian, B. J., Hutchinson, P. J. A., Rueckert, D., Coles, J. P., Williams, G. B., Menon, D. K. Tags: Clinical Research Articles Source Type: research

A Randomized Controlled Evaluation of the Efficacy of an Ankle-Foot Cast on Walking Recovery Early After Stroke: SWIFT Cast Trial
Conclusion and implications. SWIFT Cast did not enhance the benefit of CPT, but the control group had greater use of another AFO. However, SWIFT Cast remains a clinical option because it is low cost and custom-made by therapists who can readily adapt it during the rehabilitation period. (Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair)
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - December 14, 2015 Category: Neurology Authors: Pomeroy, V. M., Rowe, P., Clark, A., Walker, A., Kerr, A., Chandler, E., Barber, M., Baron, J.-C., On Behalf of the SWIFT Cast Investigators, Anderson, Dounavi, Earl, Gregory, Havis, Horton, Jones, Kaliarntas, Kennedy, Lane, Legg, Marrapu, McColl, Moran, Tags: Clinical Research Articles Source Type: research

Reliability and Responsiveness of Upper Limb Motor Assessments for Children With Central Neuromotor Disorders: A Systematic Review
Conclusions. There is a lack of high-quality studies about psychometric properties of upper limb measurement tools in children with neuromotor disorders. To date, upper limb rehabilitation trials in children and adolescents risk being biased by insensitive measurement tools lacking reliability. (Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair)
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - December 14, 2015 Category: Neurology Authors: Gerber, C. N., Labruyere, R., van Hedel, H. J. A. Tags: Clinical Research Articles Source Type: research

Maintaining Trunk and Head Upright Optimizes Visual Vertical Measurement After Stroke
Conclusion. Subject setting improves VV measurement in stroke patients with postural disorders. Maintaining the trunk upright enhances the validity of VV orientation, and maintaining the head upright enhances the validity of within-subject variability. Measuring VV without any body maintaining is valid in patients with satisfactory balance abilities. (Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair)
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - December 14, 2015 Category: Neurology Authors: Piscicelli, C., Barra, J., Sibille, B., Bourdillon, C., Guerraz, M., Perennou, D. A. Tags: Clinical Research Articles Source Type: research

Val66Met BDNF Polymorphism Implies a Different Way to Recover From Stroke Rather Than a Worse Overall Recoverability
In search for individualized predictors of stroke recovery, the Val66Met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is attracting great interest, because it has a negative impact on neurotrophin function. Since stroke recovery relies on brain plastic processes, on which BDNF is permissive, the dominant thought is in favor of a worse recovery in Met carriers. Conversely, we suggest that Met carriers do not differ in terms of absolute ability to recover from stroke, but they do differ on the way they recover. In particular, Met carriers rely more on subcortical plasticity, while ValVal patients more on intr...
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - December 14, 2015 Category: Neurology Authors: Di Pino, G., Pellegrino, G., Capone, F., Assenza, G., Florio, L., Falato, E., Lotti, F., Di Lazzaro, V. Tags: Clinical Research Articles Source Type: research

Continuous High-Frequency Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus Improves Cell Survival and Functional Recovery Following Dopaminergic Cell Transplantation in Rodents
Subthalamic nucleus (STN) high-frequency stimulation (HFS) is a routine treatment in Parkinson’s disease (PD), with confirmed long-term benefits. An alternative, but still experimental, treatment is cell replacement and restorative therapy based on transplanted dopaminergic neurons. The current experiment evaluated the potential synergy between neuromodulation and grafting by studying the effect of continuous STN-HFS on the survival, integration, and functional efficacy of ventral mesencephalic dopaminergic precursors transplanted into a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine medial forebrain bundle lesioned rodent PD model. O...
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - October 20, 2015 Category: Neurology Authors: Furlanetti, L. L., Cordeiro, J. G., Cordeiro, K. K., Garcia, J. A., Winkler, C., Lepski, G. A., Coenen, V. A., Nikkhah, G., Dobrossy, M. D. Tags: Basic Research Articles Source Type: research

Combining Multiple Types of Motor Rehabilitation Enhances Skilled Forelimb Use Following Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats
Conclusions. The current study has provided evidence that individual rehabilitation strategies shown to be beneficial in animal models of stroke are not similarly sufficient to enhance behavioral outcome in a model of TBI. Motor rehabilitation strategies for TBI patients may need to be more intense and varied. Future basic science studies exploring the underlying mechanisms of combined rehabilitation approaches in TBI as well as clinical studies comparing rehabilitation approaches for stroke versus TBI would prove fruitful. (Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair)
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - October 20, 2015 Category: Neurology Authors: Adkins, D. L., Ferguson, L., Lance, S., Pevtsov, A., McDonough, K., Stamschror, J., Jones, T. A., Kozlowski, D. A. Tags: Basic Research Articles Source Type: research