Repetitive Passive Movement Modulates Cortical Dynamics in Subacute Stroke Patients with Sensory Deficits

Sensory dysfunction after stroke has long been ignored in clinical practice. Repetitive passive movement (RPM) is a natural way of sensory stimulation, which can induce the regulation of primary motor cortex excitability. This study aims to investigate the modulatory effects of sensory stimulation on cortical dynamics in subacute stroke patients with sensory deficits. We recruited six subacute stroke patients with sensory deficits and applied them with short-term RPM intervention. Results showed that 1 Hz-RPM therapy could modulate cortical activation and cortico-cortical connectivity (p < 0.05). Further analysis also demonstrated the correlation between cortical activation and cortico-cortical connectivity for stroke patients (p < 0.05), unveiling the multilevel modulatory effects. We conclude that RPM therapy can modulate sensory-related cortical dynamics, which can potentially be applied for sensory recovery in stroke patients with sensory deficits.