Leonard Laer

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About

Leonard Laer is a leading researcher in neurorehabilitation, whose work focuses on understanding and restoring motor function after severe neurological injury. His primary research areas include motor recovery after stroke, neuronal plasticity, and the physiological mechanisms underlying cortico-muscular communication. Laer’s major contribution lies in his pioneering use of cortico-muscular coherence (CMC) as a biomarker for plasticity in severely impaired patients. His most-cited paper, "Plasticity of premotor cortico-muscular coherence in severely impaired stroke patients with hand paralysis" (2017, 91 citations), demonstrated that even in cases of complete hand paralysis, the brain can reorganize premotor circuits to maintain functional connectivity with muscles. This finding challenges the prevailing assumption that severe impairment precludes meaningful neuroplastic change, offering a new physiological target for refining therapeutic interventions. By revealing that CMC can detect residual or emerging motor control, Laer’s work provides a crucial tool for designing more effective, individualized rehabilitation strategies. His research has profound implications for advancing neurorehabilitation, giving hope to patients with limited recovery options and guiding the development of brain-computer interfaces and neuromodulation therapies.