Functional MRI using robotic MRI compatible devices for monitoring rehabilitation from chronic stroke in the molecular medicine era (Review)

The number of individuals suffering from stroke is increasing daily, andits consequences are a major contributor to invalidity in today's society. Strokerehabilitation is relatively new, having been hampered from the longstanding viewthat lost functions were not recoverable. Nowadays, robotic devices, which aidby stimulating brain plasticity, can assist in restoring movement compromisedby stroke-induced pathological changes in the brain which can be monitored byMRI. Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of stroke patients participatingin a training program with a novel Magnetic Resonance Compatible Hand-InducedRobotic Device (MR_CHIROD) could yield a promising biomarker that, ultimately,will enhance our ability to advance hand motor recovery following chronic stroke.Using state-of-the art MRI in conjunction with MR_CHIROD-assisted therapy canprovide novel biomarkers for stroke patient rehabilitation extracted by a meta-analysisof data. Successful completion of such studies may provide a ground breaking methodfor the future evaluation of stroke rehabilitation therapies. Their results willattest to the effectiveness of using MR-compatible hand devices with MRI to provideaccurate monitoring during rehabilitative therapy. Furthermore, such results mayidentify biomarkers of brain plasticity that can be monitored during stroke patientrehabilitation. The potential benefit for chronic stroke patients is that rehabilitationmay become possible for a longer period of time after stroke than previously thought,unveiling motor skill improvements possible even after six months due to retainedbrain plasticity.