• Takamitsu Yamamoto, Yoichi Katayama, Mitsuru Watanabe, Kohichiro Sumi, Toshiki Obuchi, Kazutaka Kobayashi, Hideki Oshima, and Chikashi Fukaya.
• Department of Advanced Medical Science, Division of Applied System Neuroscience, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. yamamoto.takamitsu@nihon-u.ac.jp
• Stereotact Funct Neurosurg. 2011 Jan 1; 89 (6): 381-9.

BackgroundIn well-designed multicenter studies, the protocol of continuing motor cortex stimulation (MCS) temporarily for 3-6 weeks was employed with rehabilitation therapy, and these studies showed some recovery of motor weakness in post-stroke patients.ObjectivesWe aimed to clarify the effects of long-term MCS and the optimal stimulation conditions to improve motor weakness in post-stroke patients.MethodsWe applied chronic MCS in 6 post-stroke pain patients with motor weakness. We then examined the correlation between the duration of daily MCS applied over 6 months and motor function assessed on the basis of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) score of the patients.ResultsIn the 6 patients with motor weakness, the FMA score of the upper extremity increased in 4 patients who underwent daily MCS for less than 4 h. On the other hand, 2 patients who continued excessive MCS to control their complicating post-stroke pain showed decreased FMA scores and worsened motor function owing to their increased rigidity and/or spasticity. These 2 patients recovered their motor function after their daily MCS was restricted to less than 4 h.ConclusionsThese findings indicate that MCS could be a new therapeutic approach to improving motor performance after stroke by attenuating rigidity and/or spasticity. However, it may be important to define the appropriate number of hours and conditions of daily MCS.Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

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