Investigating consolidation of motor learning in the context of recovery after stroke (SMiLES)

Research summary

Rehabilitation of movement after stroke depends on motor learning. Motor learning involves not only improvement during practice but also improvement between sessions, known as consolidation. Consolidation of learning depends on good sleep quality. However, there is growing evidence that sleep is disrupted after stroke and we recently showed that following brain injury, patients with poorer sleep show worse rehabilitation outcomes. This might occur because sleep disruption impairs consolidation directly, or might reflect other factors that influence both sleep and clinical outcomes. This study aims to test whether the relationship between sleep quality and clinical outcomes after stroke depends on consolidation of motor learning.

Principal Investigator

Ms Rachel Teal

Contact us

Email: sleep-win@ndcn.ox.ac.uk

IRAS number

304135