Safety, Feasibility, and Efficacy of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Paired With Upper-Limb Rehabilitation After Ischemic Stroke Jan. 2016
Earlier research on this is here July, 2012;
and here Jan. 2013;
and here - Sept. 2013;
Researchers Find Early Success in New Treatment for Stroke Recovery
You are basically screwed for the rest of your life until survivors get some stroke leadership in place that puts two and two together from all the research that is already out there. Adding 2+2 must be beyond the abilities of our non-existent stroke leadership.
- Navid Khodaparast, PhD1
- Michael P. Kilgard, PhD1
- Reema Casavant, PhD2
- Andrea Ruiz, MS1
- Iqra Qureshi1
- Patrick D. Ganzer, PhD1
- Robert L. Rennaker II, PhD1
- Seth A. Hays, PhD1⇑
- 1The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
- 2Micro Transponder Inc, Dallas, TX 75204, USA
- Seth A. Hays, PhD, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, EC39, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA. Email: seth.hays@utdallas.edu
Abstract
Background and objective. Stroke
is a leading cause of long-term disability. Currently, there are no
consistently effective rehabilitative treatments
for chronic stroke patients. Our recent studies
demonstrate that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with
rehabilitative
training improves recovery of function in multiple
models of stroke. Here, we evaluated the ability of VNS paired with
rehabilitative
training to improve recovery of forelimb strength
when initiated many weeks after a cortical and subcortical ischemic
lesion
in subjects with stable, chronic motor deficits.
Methods.
Rats were trained to perform an automated, quantitative measure of
voluntary forelimb strength. Once proficient, rats received
injections of endothelin-1 to cause a unilateral
cortical and subcortical ischemic lesion. Then, 6 weeks after the
lesion,
rats underwent rehabilitative training paired with
VNS (Paired VNS; n = 10), rehabilitative training with equivalent VNS
delivered
2 hours after daily rehabilitative training
(Delayed VNS; n = 10), or rehabilitative training without VNS (Rehab, n =
9).
Results. VNS paired with rehabilitative
training significantly improved recovery of forelimb function compared
with control groups.
The Paired VNS group displayed an 86% recovery of
strength, the Rehab group exhibited 47% recovery, and the Delayed VNS
group
exhibited 42% recovery. Improvement in forelimb
function was sustained in the Paired VNS group after the cessation of
stimulation,
potentially indicating lasting benefits. No
differences in intensity of rehabilitative training, lesion size, or
MAP-2 expression
were observed between groups. Conclusion. VNS paired with rehabilitative training confers significantly greater recovery of forelimb function after chronic ischemic
stroke in rats.
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