TMS markers of plasticity in acute stroke
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Characterising post stroke plasticity in humans - is there a critical window for enhancing neuroplasticity after stroke?
IRAS ID
149361
Contact name
John Rothwell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCL/UCLH Joint Research Office
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2014/04/19, Data Protection Registration
Research summary
"Plasticity" is the term used for the ability of the brain to alter the strength of connections between brain cells. This ability is known to be a vital component of how we learn new skills, and how we recover from brain injuries such as a stroke.
Plasticity can be measured using repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), a form of non-invasive brain stimulation. This technique has been safely and effectively used in stroke patients, and one study has found that measures of plasticity using rTMS can predict who will make the best recovery. Recovery after stroke is frequently limited to the first six months, but it is not yet known if this is due to changes in plasticity. We will measure plasticity over the first six months after a stroke with repeated rTMS measures, looking for an associated between plasticity and degree of recovery, as well as a critical window of increased plasticity, which could have important repercussions for the prediction of someone’s level of independence after stroke and the planning of stroke rehabilitation services.
We will use rTMS to test patients at University College Hospitals who are taking part in a randomised control trial (named FOCUS) of stroke patients given either the drug fluoxetine or placebo (a dummy drug). It is thought that those given fluoxetine will make a better recovery, with one possible explanation for this that fluoxetine increases plasticity in the brain, as has been shown in healthy volunteers. If we can show that fluoxetine increases plasticity in the brain after stroke, and that those with more plasticity make a better recovery then this will have significant implications for the development of future drugs in the field of stroke rehabilitation.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
14/NI/1008
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion