Effects of behavioral therapies and pharmacological intervention in brain damage

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Date
2001
Authors
Witt-Lajeunesse, Alane
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Arts and Science, 2001
Abstract
Maximizing recovery of function after brain injury is the goal for many neuroscientists and rehabilitation medicine professional alike. To further elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying compensatory changes in brain injury and to determine the possibility of enhancing these changes, three experiments are described. Experiment 1 looks at the effects of structured (skilled reaching) versus functional (enriched environment) training with and without FGF-2, a pharmacological intervention, as treatment paradigms for rehabilitation-induced recovery of function in cortical lesion adult rats. Experiment 2 examines the treatment effects of tactile stimulation to enhance motor abilities in postnatal day 4 rat pups sustaining cortical damage. Finally, experiment 3 explores changes in the cortical motor representation after cortical damage. Results indicate a marked improvement on behavioral testing combing FGF-2 and functional training. Tactile stimulation significantly enhances recovery of motor functions. Post-lesion cortical mapping reveals changes in the motor representation utilizing the adjacent posterior parietal cortex.
Description
xv, 127 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.
Keywords
Brain damage , Brain damage -- Patients -- Rehabilitation , Dissertations, Academic
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