Brain Plasticity Induced by Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy: Relationship of fMRI and Movement Characteristics

Following stroke, the disturbed motor control results in subsequent movement disorders. Recovery means gradual returning of the specific function, after a deficit caused by a central nervous system damage (Held, 2000). The recovery of upper extremity movement following a stroke is generally poor. Three months after stroke its function remains totally or partially impaired in as much as 80 % of stroke survivors (Parker et al., 1986). Basmajian et al. (1982) reported that only 5% of stroke patients regained a total function of the upper extremity, and in 20% it remained totally non-functional. Majority of the reports indicated that in patients with initially markedly impaired upper extremity function, the recovery is minimal (Basmajian et al., 1982; Wade et al., 1983; Nakayama et al., 1994). In this group, a useful function of the upper extremity was regained in only 15% (Parker et al., 1986) or 18% of patients (Nakayama et al., 1994). It seems, however, that patients with initially partially impaired upper extremity function have a good potential for recovery. In this group, total recovery was reported in as much as 79% of patients (Nakayama et al., 1994).