PLoS ONE (Jan 2017)

No changes in functional connectivity during motor recovery beyond 5 weeks after stroke; A longitudinal resting-state fMRI study.

  • Tanja C W Nijboer,
  • Floor E Buma,
  • Caroline Winters,
  • Mariska J Vansteensel,
  • Gert Kwakkel,
  • Nick F Ramsey,
  • Mathijs Raemaekers

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0178017
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 6
p. e0178017

Abstract

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Spontaneous motor recovery after stroke appears to be associated with structural and functional changes in the motor network. The aim of the current study was to explore time-dependent changes in resting-state (rs) functional connectivity in motor-impaired stroke patients, using rs-functional MRI at 5 weeks and 26 weeks post-stroke onset. For this aim, 13 stroke patients from the EXPLICIT-stroke Trial and age and gender-matched healthy control subjects were included. Patients' synergistic motor control of the paretic upper-limb was assessed with the upper extremity section of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-UE) within 2 weeks, and at 5 and 26 weeks post-stroke onset. Results showed that the ipsilesional rs-functional connectivity between motor areas was lower compared to the contralesional rs-functional connectivity, but this difference did not change significantly over time. No relations were observed between changes in rs-functional connectivity and upper-limb motor recovery, despite changes in upper-limb function as measured with the FMA-UE. Last, overall rs-functional connectivity was comparable for patients and healthy control subjects. To conclude, the current findings did not provide evidence that in moderately impaired stroke patients the lower rs-functional connectivity of the ipsilesional hemisphere changed over time.