Abstract:

Combining motor learning and brain stimulation to enhance post-stroke neurorehabilitation Worldwide, stroke is a leading cause of life-long disability resulting in dramatic restrictions in patient’s independence and in a growing economic burden for the community. The majority of stroke survivors suffers from chronic sequels among which hemiparesis is one of the most debilitating. Despite quick progresses over the last 20 years, the impact of neurorehabilitation on post-stroke recovery remains unsatisfactory. Developing new ways to enhance neurorehabilitation could thus benefit to millions of patients. Prof. Yves Vandermeeren (Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium) demonstrated that a better insight into the physiology of the normal motor system and the mechanisms driving post-stroke recovery and neural plasticity should permit to develop a new science of neurorehabilitation.