Neurobiology of Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation aims to improve physical and cognitive impairments from neurological diseases like stroke and spinal cord injury. It uses the brain's ability to adapt after injury, called plasticity, to help patients regain function. New treatments focus on promoting this plasticity through activity and other biological strategies. The brain's sensorimotor system, which controls movement, can reorganize itself after injury. Therapy can help nearby neurons take over the functions of damaged ones. Techniques like TMS and fMRI help optimize interventions and track changes in the brain. Exercise and specific practice are essential for regaining abilities. The right intensity, duration, and feedback are important for relearning skills. Therapies such as treadmill training and constraint-induced movement therapy are used to encourage activity-dependent adaptations and brain plasticity.

• 1
  The cortex in humans contributes to reaching, grasping, individuated finger movements, and walking-related motor control.
• 2
  Neurons within motor areas are mutable controllers of muscles and movements, adapting based on practice.
• 3
  Spinal cord contains central pattern generators (CPGs) that can produce rhythmic movements independent of brain input, useful for locomotor rehabilitation.