Increase in motor-cortex excitability after constraint-induced movement therapy in patients with congenital stroke

Motor-cortex excitability is an attribute of the function of intracortical structures modulated by effective motor-training. Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) in patients with in adulthood acquired stroke increases motor-cortex excitability combined with improvement of motor-function. This study tests the hypothesis wether CIMT in patients with congenital hemiparesis increases motor-cortex excitability. Eleven patients (10–30 years, median 12 years) with congenital hemiparesis due to infarction of the middle cerebral artery participated. All revealed contralateral cortico-spinal organisation, 4 patients…