Stroke Plasticity

Our brains have the power to do anything that we push them to do, however how do we push our brains after an effect such as a stroke has occurred? In the VPlab, we are looking at ways to mold and rewire the brain and its functions after one has been through a stroke. The goal of the stroke plasticity study is to find ways to improve stroke recovery and find ways to change how our brain forms new knowledge and how our brain learns. Lost functions such as speech and language have the ability to reappear through brain plasticity and therapy and intensive rehabilitation. "Brain plasticity refers to healthy brain cells taking over the functions of damaged brain cells. " (Hara Y.) Our brain is so strong that the adult brain cells are able to recognize damage that has happened and reorganized themselves to other locations based off of that damage.

In this study, patients often have suffered a minor stroke and still have full capability of moving their upper body and arms. There are two different patients group, one group who has suffered from the minor stroke and will go through a year and a half worth of visits and the other group is a control group who suffers from stroke like symptoms or risk factors of a stroke. The patients in this study go through two different tests, an fMRI and a psychological test. Their visits typically last two hours to two and a half hours.