Bimanual Movements and Chronic Stroke Rehabilitation: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Abstract

Executing voluntary motor actions in the upper extremities after a stroke is frequently challenging and frustrating. Although spontaneous motor recovery can occur, reorganizing the activation of the primary motor cortex and supplementary motor area takes a considerable amount of time involving effective rehabilitation interventions. Based on motor control theory and experience-dependent neural plasticity, stroke protocols centered on bimanual movement coordination are generating considerable evidence in overcoming dysfunctional movements. Looking backward and forward in this comprehensive review, we discuss noteworthy upper extremity improvements reported in bimanual movement coordination studies including force generation. Importantly, the effectiveness of chronic stroke rehabilitation approaches that involve voluntary interlimb coordination principles look promising.

Special Issue of New Trends in Neuromechanics and Motor Rehabilitation

“…Cauraugh and Kang [11] conducted a comprehensive narrative review on the topic of bimanual movements and chronic stroke rehabilitation. In a mini-review article, the authors raised the importance of bimanual movement functions in chronic stroke patients because of potential unbalanced cortical activations between hemispheres (i.e., impaired affected hemisphere versus unaffected hemispheres).…”

Robotic mirror therapy for stroke rehabilitation through virtual activities of daily living

“…The illusion of coordinated movements between both limbs has been shown to be enough to regain motor function [8] , [9] . An extension of traditional mirror therapy is asking the patient to perform coordinated bilateral movements with both limbs, which is known to cause interactions between the patient’s damaged and undamaged brain regions [10] , [11] . This interaction induces neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to reorganize by developing new neural connections due to sensory input, experience, and learning [12] .…”

The Mediating Effect of Age, Gender, and Post-Stroke Duration on the Association between Trunk and Upper Limb Recovery in Subacute Stroke Population: A Cross-Sectional Study with Mediation Analysis

“…The recovery of upper extremity functions, especially dexterity, is hindered due to the deficiency of proximal and distal control during the acute stage of stroke [ 9 , 10 ]. Many daily living activities demand the usage of both hands, which are primarily affected due to the lack of participation of the affected upper extremity, which is a significant factor for long-term disability in the stroke population [ 11 , 12 ].…”