In this study researchers aim to improve the collaborative research efforts of the Center for Rehabilitation Research in Neurological Conditions at the Medical University of South Carolina. The Center is comprised of several laboratories, including: the Communication and Swallowing Laboratory; the Locomotor Energetics and Assessment Laboratory; the Locomotor Rehabilitation Laboratory; the Neuromuscular Assessment Laboratory; and the Upper Extremity Motor Function Laboratory. The PI and investigators will recruit for their current and future studies in the above laboratories from the Clinical Database established here. Studies utilizing the Clinical Database will not include PHI but will only link to the Clinical Database individual patient code. This study is completed by completing a simple screening form with study personnel. Medical care/treatment future participation in studies is not influenced by inclusion in this study. We are also recruiting Healthy Controls for this study.

Rehabilitation interventions including resistance training, functional and task-specific therapy, and gait or locomotor training have been shown to be successful in improving motor function in individuals with neurologic disease or injury. Recent investigations conducted in our laboratory indicate that intense resistance training coupled with task-specific functional training lead to significant gains in functional motor recovery. Similarly, gait rehabilitation involving intense treadmill training and/or task-specific locomotor training has been shown to be effective in improving locomotor ability. However, the underlying neural adaptations associated with these therapeutic approaches are not well understood. Our primary goal is to understand the motor control underpinnings of neurologic rehabilitation in order to apply this knowledge to future generations of therapeutic interventions.

RESTORE is a database of individuals who are interested in being contacted about future stroke research at the Medical University of South Carolina. Included in the database is health information and characteristics about the individual's health, stroke, and their recovery. The results of other stroke recovery studies the individual participates in at MUSC will also be in the database. The database and information included will lead to better and more targeted recruitment for stroke recovery projects.

Individuals are being asked to volunteer for a research study. Research studies are voluntary and include only those who choose to take part. The purpose of this research study is to compile a repository of participants who are willing to participate in rehabilitation research studies.

Participants will complete a datasheet that includes contact information and basic medical conditions. Once the datasheet is complete, participants will then await contact from VA Investigators. The study will continue until the participant decides they no longer wish to participate or becomes deceased.

There will be no direct benefit to participants from taking part in this study. The risk associated with this study is a potential loss of confidentiality.

CREST-2 is two parallel multi-center randomized, observer-blinded endpoint clinical trials. One trial will assess treatment differences between intensive medical management alone compared to carotid endarterectomy procedure plus intensive medical management. The parallel trial will assess treatment differences between intensive medical management alone compared to carotid artery stenting plus intensive medical management. Intensive medical management will involve control of blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, cigarette smoking, and other vascular risk factors.

Reflexes are important parts of our movements. When reflexes are not working well, movements are clumsy or even impossible. After stroke, reflex responses may change. Researchers have found that people can learn to increase or decrease a reflex response with training. Recently, we have found that rats and people with partial spinal cord injuries can walk better after they are trained to change a spinal cord reflex. Thus, learning to change a reflex response may help people recover after a nervous system injury. In this study, we aim to examine whether learning to change a spinal reflex through operant conditioning training can improve movement function recovery in people after stroke or other damage to the nervous system.

This is an ancillary study on the Phase 3 parent trial (CREST-2) in which patients with asymptomatic high grade carotid artery stenosis have enrolled to receive either a novel intensive medical management plan alone, or in combination with either Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA) or Carotid artery stenting (CAS). Patients enrolled in CREST-H will undergo a baseline MRI and some patients will also undergo a followup MRI at 1 year. The purpose is to determine whether cognition can be improved by revascularization among the subset of CREST-2 patients with hemodynamic impairment and mild cognitive impairment at baseline.

This research is being done to find out if brain stimulation combined with a rehabilitation therapy improves arm weakness as a result of having a stroke. The stimulation technique is called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). The treatment uses direct electrical currents to stimulate specific parts of the brain. The rehabilitation therapy is called "modified Constraint Induced Movement Therapy" (mCIMT). During this rehabilitation therapy study participants will wear a mitt on the hand of the arm that was not affected by their stroke. It is designed to restrain the use of the unaffected arm, while performing therapy with impaired one.
It is not known if brain stimulation combined with rehabilitation therapy will improve arm weakness. Study participants will receive rehabilitation therapy while on this study. Study participants may or may not receive the brain stimulation therapy.

The goal of this study is to determine the pattern of cognitive impairment in chronic stroke, both in terms of performance during cognitive testing as well as brain neurocircuit activation.

Hand disability after stroke has a profound negative impact on functional ability and independence. Hand therapy may be augmented with sensory stimulation for better outcomes. We have developed a novel sensory stimulation - unfelt vibration applied via a wristwatch. Participants will receive this novel stimulation with hand task practice therapy or therapy only to determine if use of this stimulation is better for recovery.