Functional electrical stimulation-induced neural changes and recovery after stroke.

Rehabilitation as a treatment approach to affect neural remodeling or ''plasticity'' of the injured brain is gaining increasing attention and appreciation. While rehabilitation continues to emphasize re-establishment of functional abilities, the approach of neurorehabilitation attempts to improve recovery by impacting on changes within the central nervous system rather than reliance on compensatory techniques. Functional electrical stimulation is one of the prominent modalities being used for neurorehabilitation. This report provides an overview of the relevance of brain plasticity to rehabilitation, and of the physiological and clinical studies that indicate the effects of functional electrical stimulation as a potential tool in neural remodeling.