The present thesis examines the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation and
forelimb rehabilitation on motor recovery after stroke in rats. Post-stroke motor outcomes were
quantified using an innovative battery of behavioural tests and high resolution, in vivo
electrophysiology was employed to examine coherence of neural activity between hemispheres.
It was shown that rats that received brain stimulation concurrently with forelimb rehabilitation
displayed functional recovery, whereas rats that received rehabilitation alone partially regained
motor function, but the improvements were not due to restitution of original movement
patterns. Results from electrophysiological recordings showed that rats that received brain
stimulation and rehabilitation regained pre-stroke levels of interhemispheric coherence, but rats
that received rehabilitation alone did not. The present thesis suggests that transcranial direct
current stimulation may be a viable adjunct therapy to increase the efficacy of physical
rehabilitation with regard to post-stroke motor outcomes. Interhemishperic coherence between
homotopic neuronal populations may represent a biomarker of genuine motor recovery after
stroke. / ix, 75 leaves : col. ill. ; 29 cm
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:ALU.w.uleth.ca/dspace#10133/3236 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Gidyk, Darryl C |
| Contributors | Sutherland, Robert |
| Publisher | Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Neuroscience, c2011, Arts and Science, Department of Neuroscience |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Relation | Thesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science) |
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