Development of movement-related intracortical inhibition in acute to chronic subcortical stroke

OBJECTIVE: A prospective longitudinal cohort study in stroke patients was performed to better understand the role of γ-aminobutyric acid-dependent intracortical inhibition (ICI) for recovery after stroke.

METHODS: Patients with acute first-ever subcortical stroke and hand paresis were recruited, and motor function as well as ICI were measured up to 1 year after stroke. Motor recovery was defined as the change in hand motor function from the acute to the chronic stage (Δ = recovery over 1 year). Primary outcome measures for hand motor function were the recovery of grip strength (ΔGS) and finger-tapping speed (ΔFT). Using double-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation, we studied ICI in the ipsilesional primary motor cortex during the preparation of a movement with the paretic hand at different time points during recovery (first week, 7 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year after stroke).

RESULTS: Eleven patients were enrolled (mean age 62.9 ± 3.8 years). The results of a multiple regression analysis showed a significant association of movement-related ICI in the acute stage only (first week) with motor recovery over 1 year (ΔGS: R(2) = 0.75, F = 17.6, p = 0.006; ΔFT: R(2) = 0.55, F = 7.3, p = 0.035). More disinhibition of ICI in the acute phase of stroke predicted more improvement in ΔGS (β = -0.86, p = 0.006) and ΔFT (β = -0.74, p = 0.035), independent of the initial motor deficit.

CONCLUSIONS: Movement-related ICI one week after a subcortical stroke is associated with better outcome of hand motor function. Disinhibition in the ipsilesional primary motor cortex could be a mechanism of how the brain attempts to promote motor recovery after stroke.