Science
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The brain exhibits limited capacity for spontaneous restoration of lost motor functions after stroke. Rehabilitation is the prevailing clinical approach to augment functional recovery, but the scientific basis is poorly understood. ⋯ In contrast, early high-intensity training during the growth phase destroyed the effect and led to aberrant fiber patterns. Pharmacogenetic experiments identified a subset of corticospinal fibers originating in the intact half of the forebrain, side-switching in the spinal cord to newly innervate the impaired limb and restore skilled motor function.