Research
Funding
Makes Stroke Recovery Possible
When someone has a traumatic brain injury or a stroke, the connections between the brain's motor cortex and the muscles can be damaged. This makes it hard to move muscles properly, leading to weakness or paralysis.
¶à±¦²¶Óã researcher Elvira Pirondini has found that deep brain stimulation can quickly improve arm and hand strength and function weakened by brain injury or stroke.
Pirondini’s lab is using a brain stimulation technique already widely used for treating conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. It involves a surgery to place tiny electrodes in specific brain areas to send electrical signals that help control abnormal brain activity.
They tested this on a patient with arm tremors and severe paralysis from a serious motor vehicle accident. When the stimulation was turned on, the patient's arm movement and strength got better right away, allowing the participant to reach, grasp and lift a cup more easily and smoothly.
Now, they’re working on helping stroke patients recover speech function, too.