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Recent research indicates that the brain has the ability to remodel and rewire itself to compensate for injury to the brain.  A recent study published in the journal Stroke in March 2008 evaluated whether there were structural changes in the brain based on two different approaches to rehabilitation.

The study was performed in patients with "chronic" stroke who in the past have been considered to be unable to recover further or demonstrate changes in brain structure.  The participants were divided into two groups: those receiving a type of therapy referred to as "constraint-induced movement therapy,” and those receiving traditional therapy.  In constraint-induced movement therapy the patient's unaffected arm is restrained, forcing the patient to use the arm that is affected by the stroke.

Consistent with other studies of constraint-induced movement therapy, the patients had significant improvement in the spontaneous use of the affected arm when performing activities of daily living.  Study results further demonstrated that there were significant structural changes in the brain in those individuals who were using constraint-induced movement therapy compared to traditional methods.

For example, an MRI showed that there was a profuse increase in the brain gray matter in both sensory and motor areas in those individuals who were using constraint-induced movement therapy, whereas participants in the control group did not show any increases in gray matter.  Further, this increase in gray matter in the study group corresponded with the amount of functional improvement.

The study was able to show that patients who are categorized as "chronic" stroke can still show improvement functionally and that this improvement corresponds to an increase in brain gray matter.

For further information: “Remodeling the Brain: Plastic Structural Brain Changes Produced by Different Motor Therapies After Stroke,” Gauthier LV, Taub E, Perkins C, Ortmann M, Mark VW, Uswatte G., Stroke, March 6, 2008.