Neurorehabilitation and neural repair
-
Neurorehabil Neural Repair · Mar 2008
Multicenter StudyChanges in activity after a complete spinal cord injury as measured by the Spinal Cord Independence Measure II (SCIM II).
The assessment of rehabilitation efficacy in spinal cord injury (SCI) should be based on a combination of neurological and functional outcome measures. The Spinal Cord Independence Measure II (SCIM II) is an independence scale that was specifically developed for subjects with SCI. However, little is known about the changes in SCIM II scores during and after rehabilitation. ⋯ The SCIM II is responsive to functional changes in patients with a persistent motor complete SCI. It is clinically useful for monitoring functional improvement during rehabilitation and after discharge. The SCIM II and the clinical examination based on the ASIA protocol are of complementary value and separately describe changes in independence and sensorimotor deficits in SCI patients.
-
Neurorehabil Neural Repair · Mar 2008
Neural correlates of proprioceptive integration in the contralesional hemisphere of very impaired patients shortly after a subcortical stroke: an FMRI study.
The effects of physiotherapy are difficult to assess in very impaired early stroke patients. ⋯ We have demonstrated that purely passive proprioceptive training applied for 4 weeks is able to modify brain sensorimotor activity after a stroke. This training revealed fMRI change in the ventral premotor and parietal cortices of the contralesional hemisphere, which are secondary sensorimotor areas. Recent studies have demonstrated the crucial role of these areas in severely impaired patients. We propose that increased contralesional activity in secondary sensorimotor areas likely facilitates control of recovered motor function by simple proprioceptive integration in those patients with poor recovery.