Neuroplasticity and brain imaging research: implications for rehabilitation

Advanced brain imaging technologies have been used recently to investigate neuroplasticity in relation to recovery and treatment of neurologic injury and disease. The contributors to this supplement present data and synthesize the extant literature on the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, optical imaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and transcranial direct current stimulation to study remodeling of cortical representation of motor and cognitive abilities after stroke and other etiologies of neurologic impairment. In general, the collective findings of these studies support use-dependent neuroplasticity as a mechanism of recovery and response to training. Brain imaging findings support the role of training effects on increased activation of brain regions ipsilateral to unilateral vascular lesions in facilitating recovery from stroke. The articles in this supplement also report the potential therapeutic application of stimulation techniques to enhance reorganization of function.