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Updated: Feb 21, 2026
Determining the Functional Status of the Corticospinal Tract Within One Week of Stroke
Published on: February 22, 2020
Corticomuscular coherence in the acute and subacute phase after stroke
Lisbeth Hoejkjaer Larsen1, Ivan Chrilles Zibrandtsen2, Troels Wienecke2
1CopenRehab, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, 1014 Cph. K, Denmark; Section for Integrative Neuroscience, Department for Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Cph. N, Denmark.
Objective:
Stroke is one of the leading causes of physical disability due to damage of the motor cortex or the corticospinal tract. In the present study we set out to investigate the role of adaptations in the corticospinal pathway for motor recovery during the subacute phase after stroke.
Methods:
We examined 19 patients with clinically diagnosed stroke and 18 controls. The patients had unilateral mild to moderate weakness of the hand. Each patient attended two sessions at approximately 3days (acute) and 38days post stroke (subacute). Task-related changes in the communication between motor cortex and muscles were evaluated from coupling in the frequency domain between EEG and EMG during movement of the paretic hand.
Results:
Corticomuscular coherence (CMC) and intermuscular coherence (IMC) were reduced in patients as compared to controls. Paretic hand motor performance improved within 4-6weeks after stroke, but no change was observed in CMC or IMC.
Conclusions:
CMC and IMC were reduced in patients in the early phase after stroke. However, changes in coherence do not appear to be an efficient marker for early recovery of hand function following stroke.
Significance:
This is the first study to demonstrate sustained reduced coherence in acute and subacute stroke.
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