Deans' stroke musings: Conference MDAngle: ISC 2026 Post-Stroke Care

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Conference MDAngle: ISC 2026 Post-Stroke Care

Look how fucking useless the International Stroke conference is! 'Care' NOT RECOVERY! All because they never listen or talk to stroke survivors. Staying in your own insular bubble isn't going to help you recover when you are the 1 in 4 per WHO that has a stroke? Then you just might want 100% recovery.

Conference MDAngle: ISC 2026 Post-Stroke Care

Conference MDAngle offers personal perspectives from conference attendees, showcasing their anticipation, quick takeaways, and insights into how the presented research will affect their patients.

The International Stroke Conference (ISC) was held February 4-6, 2026, in New Orleans, where leading experts presented late‑breaking research and practice‑changing innovations across stroke science, including sessions focused on post‑stroke care(NOT RECOVERY!). Featured topics included spasticity management in post‑stroke recovery; comprehensive post‑stroke care(NOT RECOVERY!), including stroke‑unit best practices, secondary prevention, and long‑term management; rehabilitation and recovery with an emphasis on innovative methods and sustained support; and the psychosocial and behavioral aspects of stroke, including mental health and social‑support systems essential for recovery. Results were presented from a randomized controlled trial looking at transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, including transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation, to improve cognitive and upper limb motor function after stroke. Presentations were given on the ANIMATOR trial, looking at brain-computer interface technology interfacing with virtual reality therapy in post-stroke recovery, and on contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation for subacute stroke rehabilitation. Results were also presented from a trial of the IpsiHand system, an at-home brain-computer interface therapy for patients with chronic upper extremity motor deficit after stroke.

Annie J. Ferris, MD

Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Stroke Division, UMass Memorial Health, Worcester, Massachusetts

"We heard an amazing amount of data, trials, devices, innovations, research, and publications on all the things that doctors, nurses, and therapists are doing in this field. But what it all comes down to is the human experience of stroke.”

Preconference Considerations

ISC 2026: Previewing Advances in Post-Stroke Care

Heading to the International Stroke Conference, Dr Ferris suggests that post-stroke care(NOT RECOVERY!) is neglected compared with acute treatment. She highlights promising technologies such as vagus nerve stimulation and transcranial stimulation for motor recovery, aphasia, mood, and vision, and anticipates updates on their broader uses. Dr Ferris calls for standardized, reliable systems to connect patients to recovery therapies earlier to improve outcomes while the neuroplasticity window is open.

Quick Clinical Takeaways

ISC 2026: Innovations in Post-Stroke Care

At ISC 2026, Dr Ferris reports on exciting advances in stroke rehabilitation, including brain-computer interface technology, functional electrical stimulation, and devices such as the IpsiHand, which have demonstrated significant improvements even for chronic stroke survivors. Additional therapies such as vagal nerve stimulation, virtual reality, and emerging stem cell treatments are expanding options for recovery across all phases of stroke. These developments, alongside innovative assessment methods like hand grip strength, signal a new era of hope and possibility for stroke recovery.

How Will My Patients Benefit?

ISC 2026: The Power of Creativity in Post-Stroke Care

Dr Ferris reflects on the human aspect of post-stroke recovery, which is often overshadowed by clinical data and research, and was particularly moved by stories of survivors of stroke who used artistic expression to process their experiences and rebuild their identities. Dr Ferris emphasizes that creativity can play a vital role in helping patients regain dignity and self-worth after a stroke, which healthcare providers should always keep in mind.