After a stroke, due to damage to brain tissue, a natural repair and recovery process begins in the injured area in order to restore impaired brain functions. However, this process is often insufficient on its own. During this period, multiple mechanisms interact with and influence each other simultaneously. The effectiveness of these intertwined repair mechanisms determines the outcome of the “reorganization” of the damaged brain tissue, known as “neuroplasticity”.
The fundamental biological mechanisms of neuro-repair are primarily protective in nature; however, when processes such as inflammation become excessive, they may also lead to undesirable effects.
Protective Mechanisms
- Neuroprotection
- Neuroregeneration
Neuroregeneration
- Neurotrophic effects, meaning the regrowth of neuronal projections
- Neuroplasticity, meaning the re-establishment of connections between cells through their projections, also known as synaptogenesis
- Neurogenesis, meaning the activation of neural stem cells and their migration to the damaged region
Although the available options are limited, studies demonstrate that when supportive treatments capable of acting in parallel on multiple protective mechanisms (multimodal therapies) — particularly those that help maintain a balanced inflammatory response that develops early in damaged tissue — are initiated early and combined with rehabilitation therapy, faster and more effective recovery can be achieved.