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Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Advanced Study in Stroke and Stroke Rehabilitation
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Advanced Study in Stroke and Stroke Rehabilitation

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurorehabilitation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 November 2026 | Viewed by 1002

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Natasha A. Lannin

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Guest Editor
Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 304, Australia
Interests: stroke rehabilitation; clinical trials; systematic reviews; neuroscience; allied health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Andrew Clarkson

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Guest Editor
Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 304, Australia
Interests: translational neuroscience; neurorepair; pharmacotherapies; neurorehabilitation; behavioural sciences
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Madeleine Smith

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Guest Editor
Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 304, Australia
Interests: stroke rehabilitation; stem cell therapy; preclinical; neuroscience; neuroplasticity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advances in our understanding of post-stroke recovery and rehabilitation are creating new opportunities to inform the development of more effective therapeutic approaches. Integrating insights from experimental animal models with clinical rehabilitation research offers a critical translational pathway. Preclinical studies are essential for uncovering mechanisms of recovery, identifying therapeutic targets, and testing novel interventions under controlled conditions, including optimization of timing, dose, and combination with current standard-of-care rehabilitation. Clinical studies are critical for assessing functional recovery, evaluating feasibility and safety, and determining the effectiveness of emerging interventions in stroke survivors. Alignment across disciplines is necessary to accelerate translation and improve rehabilitation outcomes for people living with stroke.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions that advance the translation, methodology, and application of stroke rehabilitation, with the goal of gathering stroke research that may have a significant translational impact. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, structural and functional imaging (e.g., MRI, diffusion imaging, and functional connectivity), neurophysiological measures (e.g., EEG and brain stimulation-based assessments), blood-based and other molecular biomarkers of injury and recovery, and detailed assessments of motor and functional outcomes. It also welcomes studies examining rehabilitation interventions, pharmacological and non-pharmacological adjuvants, cell-based therapies, neurotechnological approaches, and studies that bridge preclinical and clinical research.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and brief communications presenting (i) mechanisms of post-stroke brain plasticity and recovery; (ii) preclinical models of stroke rehabilitation and intervention development; (iii) clinical assessments of motor and functional recovery; (iv) biomarkers and imaging markers of recovery and treatment response; (v) translational studies integrating preclinical and clinical rehabilitation research; and (vi) methodological advances that improve the alignment of outcome measures across the translational pipeline.

We look forward to receiving your contributions to this Special Issue and to advancing the science regarding stroke recovery and rehabilitation.

Prof. Dr. Natasha A. Lannin
Dr. Andrew Clarkson
Dr. Madeleine Smith
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • stroke
  • rehabilitation
  • recovery
  • neurotechnology
  • biomarkers
  • neuroplasticity
  • translation

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

38 pages, 6120 KB  
Article
Paper to Pixels: Enhancing Unilateral Neglect Assessment Using the New Computer Vision-Based Tool CANDO
by Lisa Beckmann, Rylan Donohoe, Doris Schmid, Ines C. Kiphuth, Karin Ludwig and Thomas Schenk
Brain Sci. 2026, 16(5), 541; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16050541 - 21 May 2026
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: The main aim of this article is to introduce a novel tool that allows the automatic scoring of many of the subtests from the conventional subpart of the Behavioural Inattention Test (BIT) and its German adaptation, the Neglect Test (NET). BIT [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The main aim of this article is to introduce a novel tool that allows the automatic scoring of many of the subtests from the conventional subpart of the Behavioural Inattention Test (BIT) and its German adaptation, the Neglect Test (NET). BIT and NET are standard test batteries used in the diagnosis of neglect. Our article has two parts. First, we examine the shortcomings of manual scoring, and secondly, we introduce our computer vision tool and evaluate its diagnostic validity and efficacy. Methods: In Part 1, diagnostic consistency was examined across raters with varying expertise using selected BIT and NET tasks, with repeated assessments conducted under controlled evaluation conditions. In Part 2, a computer vision-based tool (CANDO) was developed to automate scoring using a deterministic computer vision pipeline designed to reproducibly apply scoring criteria across tasks. The performance of CANDO was compared with ground truth across cancellation, line bisection, and copying tasks. Results: Manual scoring showed high overall agreement between and within raters under ideal conditions. However, diagnostic classification still differed across raters and repeated assessments. These inconsistencies were primarily driven by drawing and copying tasks. CANDO achieved very high accuracy for cancellation and line bisection tasks and strong agreement for copying tasks, while reducing variability associated with subjective judgment, time pressure, and oversight. The remaining discrepancies between computer vision and human raters had limited impact on diagnostic outcomes. Conclusions: Manual assessment of unilateral neglect is vulnerable to inconsistencies arising from subjective evaluation and the structural limitations of scoring systems. Computer vision-based automation can reduce diagnostic variability, improve reproducibility, and increase assessment efficiency, while preserving clinically relevant information. The presented framework provides a practical tool to support higher-quality neglect assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Study in Stroke and Stroke Rehabilitation)
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21 pages, 3788 KB  
Article
Neurophysiological Predictors of Proximal Motor Rehabilitation in Stroke Patients with Corticospinal Tract Damage
by Wen Dai, Qun Zhang, Jing Tian, Shouyan Wang and Rongrong Lu
Brain Sci. 2026, 16(5), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16050505 - 8 May 2026
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Upper-limb motor dysfunction is common after stroke, and patients often have limited recovery during rehabilitation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between contralesional neurophysiological parameters and the effects of rehabilitation on upper-limb motor function in stroke patients with corticospinal [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Upper-limb motor dysfunction is common after stroke, and patients often have limited recovery during rehabilitation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between contralesional neurophysiological parameters and the effects of rehabilitation on upper-limb motor function in stroke patients with corticospinal tract damage. Methods: Forty patients with subacute stroke with an absent MEP response on the ipsilesional side before admission were included. Contralesional neurophysiological parameters, including resting motor threshold, contralesional MEP, contralesional short-interval intracortical inhibition (short-ICI), and contralesional long-interval intracortical inhibition (long-ICI), were assessed via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pre-admission. The coefficients of variation for MEP, short-ICI, and long-ICI were calculated to assess cortical stability. Rehabilitation effect was measured using changes in the Fugl–Meyer assessment score after 21 days of rehabilitation. Results: No single contralesional parameter significantly predicted rehabilitation effect. Further exploratory analysis revealed that a model combining contralesional neurophysiological parameters was associated with proximal limb motor function recovery. Short-ICI played a prominent role in this exploratory model. Conclusions: Contralesional neurophysiological markers demonstrated limited predictive value in patients with stroke with moderate-to-severe motor dysfunction and damaged corticospinal tract function on the ipsilesional side. However, a model combining multimodal contralesional TMS measures, particularly short-ICI, may offer incremental value in predicting proximal limb motor improvement following 21-day rehabilitation. Although this mechanism was not directly measured, the findings suggest a compensatory role of the cortico-reticulo-spinal pathway. These exploratory results should be interpreted with caution regarding their clinical applicability and are premature as a predictive tool, pending rigorous external validation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Study in Stroke and Stroke Rehabilitation)
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