Laura Biagi1, Giuseppina Sgandurra1, Leonardo Fogassi2, Andrea Guzzetta1,3, Giovanni Cioni1,3, and Michela Tosetti1
1IRCCS Stella Maris, PISA, Italy, 2Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Parma, Italy, 3Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, PISA, Italy
Mirror Neuron System (MNS) activation
constitutes a powerful mechanism for recovery of motor deficits after stroke. We
studied with fMRI the MNS (re)-organization in children with congenital
unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP), using a goal-directed hand action stimulus. With
respect to age-matched controls, UCP children present differences, appearing
more lateralized to the dominant hemisphere as adults. The subject-specific
pattern of lateralization seems related to the type and extension of the lesion
and correlates negatively with the severity of the hand impairment. This paradigm
might be useful to explore MNS in UCP and to monitor possible motor
improvements in response to therapy.
