A model of persistent learned nonuse following focal ischemia in rats.

Background: After hemiplegic stroke, people often rely on their unaffected limb to complete activities of daily living. A component of residual motor dysfunction involves learned suppression of movement, termed learned nonuse.

Objective: To date, no rodent stroke model of persistent learned nonuse has been described that can facilitate understanding of this phenomenon and test interventions to overcome it.

A critical threshold of rehabilitation involving brain-derived neurotrophic factor is required for poststroke recovery.

Background: Enriched rehabilitation (ER; environmental enrichment plus skilled reaching) improves recovery after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) in rats. Fundamental issues such as whether ER is effective in other models, optimal rehabilitation intensity, and underlying recovery mechanisms have not been fully assessed.

Objective: The authors tested whether the efficacy of ER varies with ischemia model and assessed the importance of rehabilitation intensity and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in recovery.