Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33576318›Full record

ArticleNeurorehabilitation and neural repair2021

Evidence for a Window of Enhanced Plasticity in the Human Motor Cortex Following Ischemic Stroke.

Brenton Hordacre, Duncan Austin, Katlyn E Brown, Lynton Graetz, Isabel Pareés, Stefania De Trane, Ann-Maree Vallence, Simon Koblar, Timothy Kleinig, Michelle N McDonnell and 3 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Neurorehabilitation and neural repair, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
37citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.8field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

37 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 63 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 8 institutions in 3 countries.

Brenton HordacreIIMPACT in Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7129-6684
Duncan AustinUCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Katlyn E BrownUCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Lynton GraetzThe University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Isabel PareésHospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
Stefania De TraneQueen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Ann-Maree VallenceDiscipline of Psychology, College of Science, Health, Engineering, and Education, Murdoch University, Australia.
Simon KoblarThe University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Timothy KleinigThe University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Michelle N McDonnellThe Physio Clinic, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Richard GreenwoodNational Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK.
Michael C RiddingIIMPACT in Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
John C RothwellUCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
University College London · GBRoyal Adelaide Hospital · AUUniversity of South Australia · AUHospital Ruber Internacional · ESMurdoch University · AUNational Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery · GBQueen Mary University of London · GBThe University of Adelaide · AU

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/K01384X/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn preclinical models, behavioral training early after stroke produces larger gains compared with delayed training. The effects are thought to be mediated by increased and widespread reorganization of synaptic connections in the brain. It is viewed as a period of spontaneous biological recovery during which synaptic plasticity is increased.

objectiveTo look for evidence of a similar change in synaptic plasticity in the human brain in the weeks and months after ischemic stroke.

methodsWe used continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) to activate synapses repeatedly in the motor cortex. This initiates early stages of synaptic plasticity that temporarily reduces cortical excitability and motor-evoked potential amplitude. Thus, the greater the effect of cTBS on the motor-evoked potential, the greater the inferred level of synaptic plasticity. Data were collected from separate cohorts (Australia and UK). In each cohort, serial measurements were made in the weeks to months following stroke. Data were obtained for the ipsilesional motor cortex in 31 stroke survivors (Australia, 66.6 ± 17.8 years) over 12 months and the contralesional motor cortex in 29 stroke survivors (UK, 68.2 ± 9.8 years) over 6 months.

resultsDepression of cortical excitability by cTBS was most prominent shortly after stroke in the contralesional hemisphere and diminished over subsequent sessions (

conclusionsOur results provide the first neurophysiological evidence consistent with a period of enhanced synaptic plasticity in the human brain after stroke. Behavioral training given during this period may be especially effective in supporting poststroke recovery.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overEvoked Potentials, MotorFemaleHumansIschemic StrokeMaleMiddle AgedMotor CortexNeuronal PlasticityTime FactorsTranscranial Magnetic Stimulationmotor cortexnoninvasive brain stimulationplasticityrecoverystroketranscranial magnetic stimulation

Identifiers

PMID33576318
PMCPMC7610679
OpenAlexW3126934616

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.