Neuroplasticity and functional recovery in rehabilitation after stroke
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5935/0104-7795.20150018Keywords:
Stroke, Neuronal Plasticity, RehabilitationAbstract
The concept of rehabilitation in stroke is currently based on evidence of neuroplasticity, considered to be responsible for recovery after a stroke. The scarcity of information in the literature, especially concerning methods that specifically evaluate neuroplasticity, does not match its functional importance. In general, the literature discusses the functional evaluations of limbs after a stroke and a few studies focus on cerebral impairment. Objective: To review the literature and evaluate current rehabilitation programs for stroke and their potential to promote functional improvement and neuronal plasticity. Method: A literature review was conducted searching the PubMed database with articles published from 2000 to 2015. The descriptors used were: "Stroke/rehabilitation" OR "Stroke/therapy" AND "Neuronal Plasticity". Results: From the 86 studies found, 36 were classified as Therapy/Narrow, with 17 articles being excluded either for not meeting the inclusion criteria or for not presenting a theme relevant to the study. After the selection by title and abstract, 19 articles were read entirely. Of those, six were excluded for not addressing the objective of the present study. In all, 13 articles were reviewed. The evaluation instruments in those 13 articles varied between functional magnetic resonance, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The interventions used were specific for the upper limbs, except for one article about an intervention through hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Conclusion: Few studies evaluated the neuronal plasticity in rehabilitation after a stroke, and most articles presented improvements in function as well as in neuroplasticity. However, larger studies should investigate and correlate both aspects in the rehabilitation of stroke patients.
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