EN
Stem cell based regeneration after stroke is a concept of investigating the chronic phase, following stroke and stem cell implantation. Therapeutic success is measured assessing functional defi cit and improvement with functional brain activation studies by fMRI. We demonstrate an animal fMRI protocol to exclude spontaneous recovery as a confounding factor of therapeutic improvements. Stem cell implantation into the ischemic hemisphere of those animals without spontaneous recovery shows functional improvement beginning approximately ten weeks after implantation. This functional improvement is confi rmed in electrophysiological recordings of somatosensory evoked potentials and supported by sensorymotor behavioral test results. Further experiments on transgenic mice allow to monitor neurogenesis of new cells migrating from the subventricular zone to the ischemic territory. For this new approach, a multimodal molecular imaging approach is used, combining optical and magnetic resonance imaging techniques in vivo.