Priming the Brain for Rehabilitation: Brain Stimulation Followed by Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy in Adults With Severe Arm Paresis After Stroke

The overarching goal of this program of research is to develop a therapy that produces meaningful and persistent improvements in function of the more-affected arm in stroke survivors with severe, chronic hemiparesis. No treatment with an established evidence base is available now for this large group, who have barely perceptible voluntary movement of the more-affected fingers and wrist. The lab of E. Taub and G. Uswatte has developed an expanded version of Constraint-Induced Movement therapy (CIMT) for this population that has evidence of efficacy for improving use in daily life of the more-affected arm from a case series and small randomized controlled trial (RCT). The original version of CIMT is a form of physical rehabilitation that has evidence of efficacy from multiple RCTs for improving use in daily life of the more-affected arm in adults with mild to moderate hemiparesis after stroke. CIMT has also been shown to produce neuroplastic changes in both grey and white matter structures. Expanded CIMT (eCIMT) combines CIMT with neurodevelopmental techniques (NDT) for managing tone. Studies from by J. Szaflarski and by others suggest that priming CNS tissue for training by electrically stimulating the brain regions that control the target function with excitatory intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) augments the benefits of neurorehabilitation. This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility of combining eCIMT with brain stimulation by iTBS and, on a preliminary basis, will evaluate whether this combination therapy boosts treatment outcomes relative to eCIMT alone.