Constraint-induced movement therapy as a paradigm of translational research in neurorehabilitation: Reviews and prospects.

There is an increasing awareness about the importance of translation from basic scientific findings into practical application for efficiently improving human health, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. In the field of neurorehabilitation, however, the bench-to-bedside process continues to be developing, and thus most of the therapeutic interventions have encountered barriers during exploration of evidence-based effectiveness. Despite this immaturity, constraint-induced movement therapy (CIT), a well-evidenced treatment evolved from research in nonhuman primates, is suggested to be an ideal paradigm of translational research in the field of neurorehabilitation. This article reviews the evolvement of CIT with regards to its behavioral efficacy and neuroimaging evidence through the translation roadmap developed by the National Institutes of Health. We also discuss prospects for the application of combined interventions, such as stem cell therapy or pharmaceutical prescription, with appropriate screening of patients beforehand, as well as an efficient delivery mode after the treatment. To achieve such goals and consolidate evidenced-based neurorehabilitation, we provide a framework for applications into the translational research of other therapeutic interventions aside from CIT.