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There is virtually no information on the effects of different hormones and gender on cortical plasticity in the intact or lesioned human central nervous system (CNS). The purpose of this project is (a) to characterize use-dependent plasticity (UDP) and motor learning in the intact human CNS at different stages of the hormonal cycle and across gender. This is the pre-clinical component of the project and will be followed by (b) to compare the ability of male and female patients with stroke to express UDP and motor learning, the clinical component of this investigation. These findings may be relevant to the design of more accurate adjusted neurorehabilitative programs after brain lesions. For example, if UDP is found to be more prominent during the estrogenic phase of the menstrual cycle, it may be more useful to concentrate rehabilitative efforts during this phase. Alternatively, pharmacological agents with estrogenic content could facilitate UDP and motor learning after brain lesions specifically in women.
