Inhibition deficit as a marker of neuroplasticity in rehabilitation

Abstract

According to WHO, more than a billion people worldwide have some disability, which is not only a public health issue but also a human rights issue. In 2015, the Global Burden of Diseases presented worldwide epidemiological evidence that 74% of the total years lived with disabilities are related to health conditions that can benefit from rehabilitation. For this reason, the development of new therapies and research in rehabilitation is one of the main objectives of the WHO Global Action Plan for 2014-2021. However, the lack of knowledge about the biological mechanisms involved in the rehabilitation process is one of the main limitations faced in building solid knowledge. There is evidence that brain plasticity is the central mechanism involved in the functional recovery process of patients with deficits of different etiologies. Although much has been advanced in the understanding of brain plasticity, little has been incorporated into the practice of rehabilitation, mainly due to the scarcity of study designs that favor the translation of knowledge. Thus, a study is proposed in four groups of subjects (with stroke, spinal cord injury, amputations, and Osteoarthritis) in order to understand the mechanisms of neuroplasticity involved in the motor rehabilitation process, using the techniques of EMT, fNIRS, and EEG of high density, before and after the rehabilitation period. Through this project, it is hoped to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms of neuroplasticities involved in rehabilitation and to develop "transdiagnostic" neurophysiological biomarkers, which will have great relevance for the scientific and therapeutic improvement of rehabilitation. (AU)