CSRS Neuroplasticity & Motor Recovery 3

Question 1

What is 'diaschisis' in the context of stroke recovery?

Accepted Answer

Temporary functional depression in brain areas remote from but structurally connected to the stroke lesion

Answer

Progressive spreading of ischemic damage into previously viable tissue

Answer

Hemorrhagic transformation occurring within the original infarct zone

Answer

Edema formation causing mass effect in the hemisphere contralateral to the stroke

Question 2

Which principle of motor rehabilitation states that practicing real-world, goal-directed tasks produces superior neuroplastic changes compared to isolated, non-functional exercises?

Accepted Answer

Task-specific training principle

Answer

Progressive resistance principle

Answer

Bilateral transfer principle

Answer

Overflow training principle

Question 3

What characterizes Brunnstrom Stage 5 of motor recovery after stroke?

Accepted Answer

Decreasing spasticity with the emergence of isolated joint movements outside obligatory synergy patterns

Answer

Complete flaccid paralysis with absence of voluntary movement

Answer

Full motor recovery with no clinically detectable deficits

Answer

Voluntary movement possible only within mass flexion or extension synergy patterns

Question 4

How do functional neuroimaging studies commonly demonstrate interhemispheric shifts following stroke?

Accepted Answer

Increased activation of the contralesional (unaffected) hemisphere during movement of the affected limb

Answer

Symmetrical reduction in cortical activation across both hemispheres

Answer

Complete absence of any neural activity in the ipsilesional hemisphere

Answer

Uniform atrophy throughout both hemispheres proportional to lesion size

Question 5

What does research suggest about 'massed practice' versus 'distributed practice' in motor recovery after stroke?

Accepted Answer

Both are effective, but distributed practice with rest intervals tends to promote better long-term motor memory retention through neural consolidation

Answer

Massed practice always produces superior outcomes regardless of patient fatigue levels

Answer

Distributed practice is contraindicated in stroke rehabilitation due to momentum loss

Answer

Neither approach influences neuroplasticity or long-term functional outcomes

Question 6

The Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) is a standardized stroke outcome measure primarily designed to evaluate what?

Accepted Answer

Motor impairment and sensorimotor recovery graded according to synergy-based stages of post-stroke recovery

Answer

Cognitive function, memory capacity, and executive functioning after stroke

Answer

Balance performance and fall risk stratification in community-dwelling stroke survivors

Answer

Functional independence in activities of daily living across multiple domains

Question 7

Which mechanism best explains the neuroplastic benefit of early mobilization after stroke?

Accepted Answer

Movement generates afferent sensory input and efferent motor output that activate neural circuits and promote activity-dependent synaptic plasticity

Answer

Early mobilization directly prevents re-occlusion of the cerebral vessel involved in the stroke

Answer

Movement reduces intracranial pressure by increasing cerebrospinal fluid reabsorption

Answer

Early activity eliminates the need for pharmacological neuroprotection in the acute phase