Pharmacological Interventions for Motor Recovery After Stroke
Summary
Stroke remains a leading cause of adult disability worldwide, with motor deficits significantly impairing independence and quality of life. Pharmacological interventions aim to complement and potentiate motor rehabilitation by targeting the neurochemical and structural substrates of recovery. Dopaminergic strategies—including levodopa supplementation, dopamine agonists and reuptake inhibitors—seek to restore synaptic transmission in the peri-infarct cortex and enhance learning-dependent plasticity when combined with intensive physiotherapy. Beyond neurotransmitter modulation, approaches such as monoclonal antibodies against axon-growth inhibitors and traditional herbal formulations are under investigation to promote axonal sprouting, synaptogenesis and functional network reorganisation. By harnessing critical periods of heightened neuroplasticity after injury, these therapies hold global significance as potential adjuncts to standard rehabilitation and may improve outcomes for stroke survivors.
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Pharmacological Interventions for Motor Recovery After Stroke publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in pharmacological interventions for motor recovery after stroke across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Neuroplasticity: The capacity of the brain to reorganise neural connections in response to learning or injury.
Peri-infarct cortex: The region of viable brain tissue surrounding the core area of infarction after stroke.
Dopamine transporter (DAT): A presynaptic membrane protein that reuptakes dopamine from the synaptic cleft, regulating extracellular dopamine levels.
Levodopa: A metabolic precursor of dopamine used to enhance dopaminergic neurotransmission.
Monoclonal antibody: A laboratory-engineered protein designed to bind a specific molecular target, such as an axon-growth inhibitor.
References
- Safety and efficacy of co-careldopa as an add-on therapy to occupational and physical therapy in patients after stroke (DARS): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet Neurology (2019).
- The Dopamine Transporter Is a New Target for Ischemic Stroke. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics (2024).
- Effect of Qizhitongluo capsule on lower limb rehabilitation after stroke: A randomized clinical trial. Pharmacological Research (2021).
- GSK249320, A Monoclonal Antibody Against the Axon Outgrowth Inhibition Molecule Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein, Improves Outcome of Rodents with Experimental Stroke.. Journal of Neurology and Experimental Neuroscience (2016).
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