Journal - Current opinion in neurology (UNITED STATES )

Abstract :

Strategies for neurological rehabilitation after brain injury have an increasingly scientific basis, which is being built upon animal models that examine the short- and long-term consequences of an injury and that test training paradigms, drugs and biologic interventions. Damage is associated with neuronal and network changes that can be manipulated to improve outcomes. Adjustments in the synaptic strength between the neuronal assemblies that represent behaviors are a key mechanism by which motor learning and functional gains evolve. Although practice aids adaptations, early overuse of cells adjacent to the site of injury might lead to a greater focal injury. The search for relevant models for rehabilitative interventions in terms of cellular and systems alterations, physiology, anatomy, impairments, and measurable behaviors continues.