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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Compensatory Limb Use and Behavioral Assessment of Motor Skill Learning Following Sensorimotor Cortex Injury in a Mouse Model of Ischemic Stroke

Compensatory Limb Use and Behavioral Assessment of Motor Skill Learning Following Sensorimotor Cortex Injury in a Mouse Model of Ischemic Stroke

Published on: July 10, 2014

Highly functional ipsilateral motor control after extensive left hemispheric damage during gestation.

Bernd Weber¹, Klaus Fliessbach, Christian E Elger

¹Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. Bernd.Weber@ukb.uni-bonn.de

|December 28, 2006

Summary

A rare case of porencephaly in an 8-year-old girl shows preserved hand dexterity. Intensive early training may enable a complete transhemispheric shift of motor control, overcoming severe brain lesions.

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Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface in Rehabilitation of Upper Limb Motor Dysfunction After Stroke

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Last Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Compensatory Limb Use and Behavioral Assessment of Motor Skill Learning Following Sensorimotor Cortex Injury in a Mouse Model of Ischemic Stroke

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Published on: July 10, 2014

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy of the Sensory and Motor Brain Regions with Simultaneous Kinematic and EMG Monitoring During Motor Tasks

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Published on: December 5, 2014

Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface in Rehabilitation of Upper Limb Motor Dysfunction After Stroke

Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface in Rehabilitation of Upper Limb Motor Dysfunction After Stroke

Published on: September 1, 2023

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Neurology
Neurorehabilitation

Background:

Large early cortical lesions, such as porencephaly, often lead to severe motor deficits in the contralateral limb.
Impaired motor dexterity is a common and devastating consequence, significantly impacting quality of life.

Observation:

We report a unique case of an 8-year-old girl with a large left hemispherical porencephaly.
Remarkably, she demonstrated high dexterity and independent finger movements in her contralateral hand, contrary to typical outcomes.

Findings:

Functional MRI revealed activation of the ipsilateral motor cortex during hand tasks.
Diffusion tensor imaging confirmed the absence of a contralateral corticospinal tract.

Implications:

These findings suggest that the brain possesses remarkable plasticity, especially in early development.
Intensive, early-life training may facilitate a complete transhemispheric reorganization of motor control, achieving high functional skills despite significant brain malformations.