Certain Brain Areas Increase in Size During Use of Arm Slings or Casts

The use of a sling or cast after an arm injury may cause the brain to shift quickly to adjust, says a new study published in the Jan. 17, 2012, print issue of Neurology — the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers detected increases in the size of brain areas that were compensating for the injured side and decreases in brain areas that were not being used due to the cast or sling.

“These results are especially interesting for rehabilitation therapy for people who’ve had strokes or other issues,” said study author Nicolas Langer, MSc, with the University of Zurich in Switzerland. “One type of therapy restrains the unaffected, or ‘good,’ arm to strengthen the affected arm and help the brain learn new pathways. This study shows that there are both positive and negative effects of this type of treatment.” For more information, click here to read the full release.