Motor recovery from constraint induced movement therapy is not constrained by extent of tissue damage following stroke.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to delineate the relationship between several types of T1-weighted MRI pathology and motor rehabilitation potential following Constraint Induced Movement therapy (CI therapy) in chronic stroke.

Methods: Stepwise regression was employed (n = 80) to identify predictors of motor recovery (prior to therapy) and of response to Constraint-Induced Movement therapy [measured via the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and Motor Activity Log (MAL)] from among the following: age, side of motor deficit, chronicity, gender, lesion volume, peri-infarct damage volume, white matter hypointensity volume, ventricular asymmetry, and lesion location.

Results: Although extent of total stroke damage weakly correlated with poorer performance on the WMFT prior to therapy, this relationship was mediated by the location of the damage.