Motor learning principles: A review of their applications in stroke rehabilitation

Abstract

Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Despite the functional consequences, a recovery process can occur in these patients thanks to the neuroplasticity mechanisms preserved after brain damage. Recovery of movement patterns after stroke has been suggested to be based on a learning process. Motor learning is an approach that has recently generated a great deal of attention in the field of neurorehabilitation. Thanks to its association with neuroplastic mechanisms, the implementation of motor learning principles has shown positive results during motor skills learning in stroke patients. The present study offers a review of the fundamentals of motor learning and its various strategies to promote the learning of a motor skill. This article provides a concise overview of the implications of motor learning in stroke rehabilitation, describing the strategies, therapeutic approaches, and assessment parameters used respectively to promote and evaluate motor learning in stroke patients.