1. A method comprising the steps of: (a) providing cognitive training to an animal during rehabilitation of said animal from stroke under conditions sufficient to produce an improvement in performance by said animal of a cognitive task whose deficit is associated with said stroke; (b) administering a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor to said animal during said rehabilitation from stroke, wherein said inhibitor is administered in conjunction with said cognitive training and enhances CREB pathway function during said cognitive training; (c) repeating said providing and said administering of steps (a) and (b) one or more times; and (d) producing a long-lasting performance gain relative to the performance of said cognitive task achieved by training alone, and wherein the phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor is administered in step (b) for the purpose of augmenting cognitive training.