Physiological Basis to Use Neuroplasticity for Rehabilitation after CNS Damage

In patients suffering from a movement disorder after a damage of the central nervous system, improvement in walking or hand function can be achieved by providing functional training. After a stroke or a spinal cord injury (SCI), neuronal centers below the level of lesion exhibit plasticity that can be exploited by functional training paradigms that include assisting stepping or hand/arm movements of the affected side. Training of locomotor function, the focus of this chapter requires body-weight support (BWS), while the subjects stand on a moving treadmill. In these individuals, human spinal locomotor centers be…