Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in Canada and worldwide. The vast majority of individuals affected by stroke experience significant declines in quality of life. Individuals with type-2 diabetes are 2-4 times more likely to experience a stroke, and have increased disability after a stroke. Previous research suggests this may be because type-2 diabetes decreases neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to rewire itself. However, how this might impact movement recovery after stroke is not understood. To investigate this question we will recruit people who have experienced a stroke and have partial paralysis in their arm as a result. We will examine individuals within 3 months of their stroke, and at 1-year after the stroke, to see how brain function changes over the course of recovery. We will compare the brains of individuals with type-2 diabetes to those without, by measuring neuroplasticity and the capacity of the individuals to learn new movement patterns. Neuroplasticity will be measured with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), which allows us to non-invasively stimulate regions of the brain that control movement. The ability to learn new movements will be measured with the KINARM robotic device, which measures force and motion output while individuals learn a skilled task. We expect that stroke survivors with type-2 diabetes will show reduced neuroplasticity, and this reduction will be associated with a decreased ability to learn a new movement. Furthermore, we expect these abilities will change with stroke recovery, with neuroplasticity increasing 3 months after the stroke and decreasing at the 1-year mark. Diabetes incidence is steadily on the rise in our population; it is crucial that we understand the implications of this disease for brain health in order to manage the burden of stroke in our society. This research could give us important insights on how to improve the quality of life for Canadians affected by stroke.