Hummel Friedhelm C, Cohen Leonardo G
Human Cortical Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA.
Curr Opin Neurol. 2005 Dec;18(6):667-74. doi: 10.1097/01.wco.0000189876.37475.42.
Neural plasticity represents a crucial mechanism of the human brain to adapt to environmental changes in the developing and adult human central nervous system. This property of the central nervous system contributes to learning and functional recovery from neurological diseases such as stroke. Novel interventional approaches have been proposed and are under investigation to modulate neural plasticity, enhance it when it plays an adaptive role and downregulate it when it is considered maladaptive.
One of the purposes of research in neurorehabilitation has been to develop interventional approaches to enhance the beneficial effects of training. Procedures like cortical stimulation, administration of central nervous system active drugs and modulation of afferent input have been evaluated as drivers of neural plasticity in healthy subjects and in small groups of patients with stroke. So far, these studies have shown promising results and translation into the clinic is under investigation.
Cortical stimulation and purposeful changes in afferent input that modulate neural plasticity impact on behavioral markers of performance, learning and functional recovery and represent promising tools in neurorehabilitation.
神经可塑性是人类大脑在发育中和成年期的中枢神经系统中适应环境变化的关键机制。中枢神经系统的这一特性有助于学习以及从中风等神经系统疾病中实现功能恢复。已经提出了新的干预方法并正在进行研究，以调节神经可塑性，在其发挥适应性作用时增强它，而在被认为是适应不良时下调它。
神经康复研究的目的之一是开发干预方法以增强训练的有益效果。诸如皮质刺激、给予中枢神经系统活性药物以及调节传入输入等程序已在健康受试者和一小部分中风患者中作为神经可塑性的驱动因素进行了评估。到目前为止，这些研究已显示出有希望的结果，并且正在研究将其转化应用于临床。
调节神经可塑性的皮质刺激和传入输入的有意改变会影响行为表现、学习和功能恢复的标志物，并且是神经康复中很有前景的工具。
