fMRI of the sensorimotor cortex in patients with traumatic brain injury after intensive rehabilitation

Neurol Sci. 2011 Aug;32(4):633-9. doi: 10.1007/s10072-011-0604-6. Epub 2011 May 24.

Abstract

For evaluating the patterns of brain activation in sensorimotor areas following motor rehabilitation, seven male patients diagnosed with TBI underwent an fMRI study before and after being subjected to motor rehabilitation. Six patients showed a reduction in the BOLD signal of their motor cortical areas during the second fMRI evaluation. A decrease in cerebellum activation was also observed in two patients. Newly activated areas, were observed in four patients after treatment. In addition, an increase in the activation of the supplementary motor area (SMA) following rehabilitation was observed in only one test subject. The findings show that motor rehabilitation in TBI patients produces a decrease in the BOLD signal for the sensorimotor areas that were activated prior to treatment. In addition, we observed the recruitment of different brain areas to compensate for functional loss due to TBI in line with the cortical reorganisation mechanism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Body Weight
  • Brain Injuries / pathology*
  • Brain Injuries / rehabilitation*
  • Cerebellum / physiology
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Gait / physiology
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Motor Cortex / pathology*
  • Oxygen / blood
  • Physical Education and Training
  • Recruitment, Neurophysiological
  • Somatosensory Cortex / pathology*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Oxygen