Inhibitory deficit as a marker of neuroplasticity in rehabilitation

Abstract

According to the WHO, more than one billion people in the world experience disability, which is not only an issue of public health, but also of human rights. In 2015, the Global Burden of Diseases showed worldwide epidemiological evidence that 74% of total years lived with disability are related to conditions for which rehabilitation could be beneficial. For this reason, the development of new therapies and rehabilitation research are one of the main objectives of the WHO Global Action Plan for 2014-2021. However, the lack of knowledge of the biological mechanisms involved in the functional rehabilitation process is one of the main limitations faced in the construction of a solid knowledge. There is evidence that brain plasticity is the central mechanism involved in the recovery process of patients with deficits of different etiologies. Although much progress was made in understanding brain plasticity, little was incorporated into rehabilitation practice, mainly due to the scarcity of study designs that allowed the translation of knowledge. Therefore, we propose a study with four groups of subjects (with stroke, SCI, amputations and osteoarthritis) to understand the neuroplasticity mechanisms involved in motor rehabilitation, using TMS, fNIRS and high density EEG before and after the rehabilitation treatment. With this project, we expect to better understand the mechanisms of neuroplasticity involved in the rehabilitation process, and to develop "transdiagnostic" neurophysiological biomarkers, which are of great relevance for the scientific and therapeutic improvement of rehabilitation. (AU)