Why Stroke Patients Show Poor Limb Motor Function Recovery

Why do stroke patients show poor limb motor function recovery

A recent study looks at stroke patients and particular difficulties involving limb function following the health issue.

Researchers note that after a storke, poor limb motor function may be due to changes in fractional anisotorphy values and the cerebral peduncle area on the affected side. However, some characteristics of this change have not been so easily studied.

According to Dr. Zhibin Song and coworkers from Xiaolan Hospital of Southern Meidcal Univeristy, China, they examined the relationship between characteristics of cerebral peduncle fractional antisotrophy values that are found in cerebral peduncle in patients with negative motor evoke potentials after cerebral infraction decreased most obviously following one month from the onset of the stroke. 

However, researchers note that fractional anisotrophy value dropped during the study period, which indicates poor limb motor function recovery. Patients with these problems would experience issues walking and using other motor skills later in life and following during the recovery periods, as noted by the study authors. Many believe this could be due in part to a shrunken area of the cerebral peduncle of the affected side. For some, if they were still experiencing difficulties at the six month mark, they may indeed see it worsen at a 12 month period, according to background infromation from the study.

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Neural Regernation Research.