Noninvasive Brain Stimulation for Motor Recovery after Stroke: Mechanisms and Future Views

Figure 1

Mechanism of noninvasive brain stimulation therapy in stroke patients. Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) increases ipsilesional primary motor cortex excitability and improves motor function of the paretic side by ameliorating impaired experience-dependent plasticity in stroke patients. NIBS reduces hyperactivity in the primary and nonprimary motor cortices in the unaffected hemisphere and neural coupling of both hemispheres. Moreover, NIBS enhances neural coupling between the primary and nonprimary motor cortices in the affected hemisphere. In addition to facilitation of the ipsilesional primary motor cortex, excitability modulation in both hemispheres, and reconstructed neural coupling between the primary and nonprimary motor cortices in the affected hemisphere after NIBS contribute to motor recovery in stroke patients.