Neurostimulation for treatment of post-stroke impairments - vagus nerve

If your hospital and doctor aren't using it already they are completely incompetent!  I assume you would rather not have implants. But up to you which actually delivers recovery!

• vagus nerve (77 posts to July 2012)

 

I think most stroke survivors would rather do the non-invasive approaches. 

Dorset Embarks on Revolutionary Stroke Recovery Trial Utilizing Earpiece Technology

Non-invasive VNS approach could enhance post-stroke recovery outcomes August 2023

The latest here:

Neurostimulation for treatment of post-stroke impairments

• Jesse Dawson,
• Azmil H. Abdul-Rahim &
• Teresa J. Kimberley 

Nature Reviews Neurology (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Neurostimulation, the use of electrical stimulation to modulate the activity of the nervous system, is now commonly used for the treatment of chronic pain, movement disorders and epilepsy. Many neurostimulation techniques have now shown promise for the treatment of physical impairments in people with stroke. In 2021, vagus nerve stimulation was approved by the FDA as an adjunct to intensive rehabilitation therapy for the treatment of chronic upper extremity deficits after ischaemic stroke. In 2024, pharyngeal electrical stimulation was conditionally approved by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for neurogenic dysphagia in people with stroke who have a tracheostomy. Many other approaches have also been tested in pivotal device trials and a number of approaches are in early-phase study. Typically, neurostimulation techniques aim to increase neuroplasticity in response to training and rehabilitation, although the putative mechanisms of action differ and are not fully understood. Neurostimulation techniques offer a number of practical advantages for use after stroke, such as precise dosing and timing, but can be invasive and costly to implement. This Review focuses on neurostimulation techniques that are now in clinical use or that have reached the stage of pivotal trials and show considerable promise for the treatment of post-stroke impairments.

Key points

• Neurostimulation techniques are ideally suited for use during stroke recovery owing to their ability to target anatomical structures or neuronal networks, alongside precise timing and dosing.

• Paired invasive vagus nerve stimulation has been shown to increase the number of people who achieve clinically important improvements in upper extremity impairment and performance of functional tasks following stroke. The treatment is now in clinical use in the USA.

• Several other neurostimulation techniques show promise for post-stroke impairments but definitive data from adequately powered trials are lacking.

• Pharyngeal electrical stimulation increases the odds of decannulation following tracheostomy and is under investigation as a treatment for post-stroke dysphagia.

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