Let thy left brain know what thy right brain doeth: Inter-hemispheric compensation of functional deficits after brain damage

Paolo Bartolomeo (1, 2, 3) , Michel Thiebaut de Schotten (1, 2, 3)

1 ICM - Institut du Cerveau et de la Moëlle Epinière = Brain and Spine Institute
2 CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière [AP-HP]
3 IFR70

Recent evidence revealed the importance of inter-hemispheric communication for the compensation of functional deficits after brain damage. This review summarises the biological consequences observed using histology as well as the longitudinal findings measured with magnetic resonance imaging methods in brain damaged animals and patients. In particular, we discuss the impact of post-stroke brain hyperactivity on functional recovery in relation to time. The reviewed evidence also suggests that the proportion of the preserved functional network both in the lesioned and in the intact hemispheres, rather than the simple lesion location, determines the extent of functional recovery. Hence, future research exploring longitudinal commissural changes in patients with brain damage may unveil potential biomarkers underlying functional recovery.

Mots clés: Brain; Hemisphere; Stroke; Recovery; Asymmetry; Neurogenesis; White Matter; Connections; Phenotypes; Stratification; Longitudinal

Domaines: Neurosciences [q-bio.NC]

Paolo Bartolomeo, Michel Thiebaut de Schotten. Let thy left brain know what thy right brain doeth: Inter-hemispheric compensation of functional deficits after brain damage. Neuropsychologia, 2016, ⟨10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.06.016⟩. ⟨hal-01346077⟩