Objective:

To characterize and compare the task-dependent cortical activation and rest state functional connectivity profiles elicited by Active Movement Mode (AMM) and Mirror Therapy Mode (MTM) in stroke patients and healthy controls, focusing on specific brain regions involved in motor function.

Approach:

Key Findings:

• Both groups showed extensive cortical activation across both modes, indicating robust engagement of motor-related regions.
• Significant main effects of task were found in the ipsilesional PFC and PSC, and contralesional PFC and PMC, with AMM showing higher activation than MTM, suggesting different neural engagement strategies.
• Stroke patients exhibited significantly weaker inter-hemispheric and intra-hemispheric resting-state functional connectivity in the eyes-open condition compared to healthy controls, highlighting potential neural deficits.
• No significant correlations were found between brain activity and behavior or lateralization effects, indicating a need for further investigation into these relationships.

Interpretation:

Active Movement Mode and Mirror Therapy Mode exhibited distinct cortical activation and functional connectivity profiles during robot-assisted upper-limb tasks, which may inform tailored rehabilitation strategies for stroke patients.

Limitations:

• Potential sample size limitations may affect the generalizability of the findings.

Conclusion:

AMM was associated with stronger recruitment of several motor-related regions compared to MTM, indicating different modes of neural engagement.

Sources:

• Clinical trial registration
Attribution Notice

This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.