Compensatory rehabilitation limits motor recovery after stroke

Relying on the better-functioning side of the body after a stroke can cause brain changes that hinder rehabilitation of the impaired side, according to an animal study. Strokes that occur in one brain hemisphere can result in poor motor function on the opposite side of the body, leading to heavy reliance on the “good” side. This study, found that such compensation produces structural brain changes at the site of the stroke in rats, limiting recovery of the injured side.