Eduard Kraft1, Matthias C Schaal2, Dorothee Lule3, Eberhard König4, Klaus Scheidtmann5. 1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany. 2. Department of Pediatrics, University of Ulm, Germany. 3. Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Germany. 4. Neurological Hospital, Bad Aibling, Germany. 5. Department of Neurology, Hegau-Jugendhilfswerk, Gailingen, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The neural correlates of motor imagery (MI) are tightly coupled with the cortical motor control network. Therefore MI may have therapeutic potential for patients with motor deficits after an ischemic stroke. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to assess the hemispheric balance of the cortical motor network during motor imagery (MI) in patients recovering from stroke in the sub-acute stage. METHODS: We studied 17 patients after cerebral ischemic stroke (sub-acute stage) and 12 healthy subjects using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) during motor imagery and performance of isometric grip force movements (5 Newton). Laterality indices (LI) were calculated from regional activation analysis to assess hemispheric distribution of activity in pre-specified motor areas. RESULTS: Laterality index (LI) revealed a more balanced cortical activity in MI for both controls (-0.03) and patients (-0.12) in the premotor cortex compared to movement execution (0.48 controls; 0.12 patients) and a trend towards a shift in contra-lesional activity in stroke patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate a preserved interhemispheric balance of patients in the sub-acute stage when activating the cortical motor areas during MI. This could provide a reasonable physiologic baseline for using MI as an additional rehabilitative therapy for improving functional recovery in the sub-acute stage after stroke.
BACKGROUND: The neural correlates of motor imagery (MI) are tightly coupled with the cortical motor control network. Therefore MI may have therapeutic potential for patients with motor deficits after an ischemic stroke. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to assess the hemispheric balance of the cortical motor network during motor imagery (MI) in patients recovering from stroke in the sub-acute stage. METHODS: We studied 17 patients after cerebral ischemic stroke (sub-acute stage) and 12 healthy subjects using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) during motor imagery and performance of isometric grip force movements (5 Newton). Laterality indices (LI) were calculated from regional activation analysis to assess hemispheric distribution of activity in pre-specified motor areas. RESULTS: Laterality index (LI) revealed a more balanced cortical activity in MI for both controls (-0.03) and patients (-0.12) in the premotor cortex compared to movement execution (0.48 controls; 0.12 patients) and a trend towards a shift in contra-lesional activity in strokepatients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate a preserved interhemispheric balance of patients in the sub-acute stage when activating the cortical motor areas during MI. This could provide a reasonable physiologic baseline for using MI as an additional rehabilitative therapy for improving functional recovery in the sub-acute stage after stroke.
Entities:
Keywords:
Motor imagery; fMRI; motor cortex; motor recovery; premotor cortex; stroke
Authors: David M A Mehler; Angharad N Williams; Florian Krause; Michael Lührs; Richard G Wise; Duncan L Turner; David E J Linden; Joseph R Whittaker Journal: Neuroimage Date: 2018-09-08 Impact factor: 6.556