Deans' stroke musings

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.

Monday, September 28, 2026

Experts link kindness, friendship to better health and longer life

My social connections/friendships are extensive after dumping the ex and moving to Michigan. I've got this covered.

Experts link kindness, friendship to better health and longer life

Why connection matters: Studies link strong social ties to longer life, reduced disease risk, and better mental health, rivaling benefits of diet and exercise.

Friendship as remedy: Supportive friendships especially help childless older adults and can ease loneliness more than self-care, research shows.

Practical solutions grow: Apps, community frameworks, and small acts of kindness are being deployed to foster belonging and combat isolation.

References

How a UCLA professor uncovered the science behind loneliness | UCLA | ucla.edu
Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad | julianneholtlunstad.com
Friendship can be an important lifeline for older adults without children | Medical Xpress
Loneliness, friendship and the secret to living longer in America | Thy Black Man
This is the biggest lifestyle change a longevity expert has made to his life to increase his chances of living longer | Fit&Well
What’s the secret to a longer life? Experts say this is the single best thing you can do. | HuffPost
A Sociologist’s Six Essential Tips for College Friendships | Faculty of Arts and Sciences | fas.dartmouth.edu
U. alum launches new app to increase social connection on campuses worldwide - The Daily Targum | Daily Targum
Epley Reveals the Power of Friendship in New Documentary - Roman Family Center | Chicago Booth | chicagobooth.edu
UCLA partners with professor-designed friendship app to combat student loneliness - Daily Bruin | dailybruin.com
10 stories that show kindness and empathy can reach someone even when loneliness makes them feel invisible | Bright Side
13 moments of wisdom that prove loneliness teaches us the value of kindness | 5-Minute Crafts
Beyond loneliness and social isolation: Why belonging matters for public health - Healthy Debate | Healthy Debate

Lack of social connection linked to increased risks of heart disease, dementia, and early death

According to Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, lacking social connection is associated with higher risks of developing heart disease, dementia, and experiencing premature death. These associations highlight the serious health consequences of social isolation.

References

How a UCLA professor uncovered the science behind loneliness | UCLA | ucla.edu
Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad | julianneholtlunstad.com

Longevity researchers link strong social ties to prevention of age-related diseases

Longevity researchers, including Dr. Matt Kaeberlein, emphasize that maintaining strong social connections can help prevent age-related diseases. This underscores the health-protective effects of social relationships in later life.

References

Friendship can be an important lifeline for older adults without children | Medical Xpress
Loneliness, friendship and the secret to living longer in America | Thy Black Man
This is the biggest lifestyle change a longevity expert has made to his life to increase his chances of living longer | Fit&Well

Anecdotal evidence from rural communities on daily social rituals and longevity

©Photo by Fan Xiaoheng/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images. XINXIANG, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 08: Villagers play chess outdoors on September 8, 2026 in Xinxiang, Henan Province of China. The village has improved public service facilities including education, healthcare, elderly care and culture while developing its collective economy and specialty industries. (Photo by Fan Xiaoheng/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

Observations from rural communities indicate that daily social rituals among residents may contribute to exceptional longevity. These rituals provide consistent opportunities for social interaction and support.

References

Potential to build strong social ties later in life

Experts note that it is never too late for individuals to develop strong social connections. This suggests that even in later stages of life, building friendships can contribute to improved well-being and health.

References

University of New Hampshire study on friendship and loneliness in childless older adults

©Photo by Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post via Getty Images. WASHINGTON,DC - MAY 5: Carlene Meheux (left), 39, and Tuere Marshall (right), 74, hold hands as they sit in the courtyard of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on Tuesday May 5, 2026 in Washington, DC. The friendship bench connects older adults with young people who are seeking a listening ear and companionship. (Photo by Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Research from the University of New Hampshire found that childless older adults with strong friendships experience a 20% greater reduction in loneliness compared to parents who have similar levels of social support. This suggests that friendships can play a particularly significant role in mitigating loneliness for older adults without children.

References

Loneliness as a public health crisis

The accounts and framework discussions frame loneliness as a public health crisis. This characterization emphasizes the widespread and serious nature of social isolation, requiring coordinated community-level interventions. Recognizing loneliness in this way elevates its importance in policy and social discourse.

References

10 stories that show kindness and empathy can reach someone even when loneliness makes them feel invisible | Bright Side
13 moments of wisdom that prove loneliness teaches us the value of kindness | 5-Minute Crafts
Beyond loneliness and social isolation: Why belonging matters for public health - Healthy Debate | Healthy Debate

Impact of small acts of kindness on social isolation

©Photo by Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images. 22 December 2021, Hessen, Frankfurt/Main: Kristina Gerstenberger (l), volunteer of Malteser Hilfsdienst, and senior Helga chat over coffee and cake during a visit in the living room. Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa (Photo by Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Personal accounts describe how small acts of kindness, such as a waiter showing empathy or receiving anonymous gifts, can disrupt feelings of isolation. These gestures create lasting bonds and help individuals feel seen and valued. Such acts demonstrate the power of interpersonal connection in countering loneliness.

References

Kindness as a bridge across social divides

Stories highlight that kindness and shared humanity can bridge divides between people from different backgrounds. Acts of empathy can foster connections even when individuals feel invisible due to loneliness. These connections can counteract the fragmentation of communities.

References

10 stories that show kindness and empathy can reach someone even when loneliness makes them feel invisible | Bright Side
Beyond loneliness and social isolation: Why belonging matters for public health - Healthy Debate | Healthy Debate

Deep conversations and small social moments enhance connection

Marisa Franco and Nicholas Epley suggest that engaging in deep conversations and seizing small social moments can significantly enhance interpersonal connections. These actions counteract the common underestimation of others’ willingness to connect.

References

What’s the secret to a longer life? Experts say this is the single best thing you can do. | HuffPost
A Sociologist’s Six Essential Tips for College Friendships | Faculty of Arts and Sciences | fas.dartmouth.edu
U. alum launches new app to increase social connection on campuses worldwide - The Daily Targum | Daily Targum
Epley Reveals the Power of Friendship in New Documentary - Roman Family Center | Chicago Booth | chicagobooth.edu

Encouragement to seize small social moments

Experts suggest taking advantage of small, everyday social opportunities to connect with others. This practice helps counteract the common underestimation of others’ openness to interaction.

References

Marisa Franco's recommendation to reconnect with old friends

The stroke caused me to reconnect with old college friends

Marisa Franco advises individuals to reach out to old friends as a practical strategy for building connections. This approach is intended to counteract the tendency to underestimate others’ openness to reconnect. Reestablishing past relationships can help strengthen social bonds and reduce feelings of isolation.

References

Resetting the body clock could help the brain recover after stroke

Your incompetent? doctor and hospital will fail at doing further research and human testing to change 'could' to will! And I'm sure they didn't create sleep or glymphatic clearance protocols.

glymphatic clearance (10 posts to June 2022)
sleep (242 posts to August 2010)

NOT DOING EITHER ONE IS PURE INCOMPETENCE!

Resetting the body clock could help the brain recover after stroke

Scientists at the University of Rochester Medicine have found that strengthening the body's natural daily rhythms to improve sleep may help the brain recover after a stroke. The work points to a possible new way to support brain waste clearance and improve recovery well after the initial injury. Published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the study showed that interventions designed to reinforce circadian rhythms improved recovery in mouse models of stroke. These improvements were accompanied by stronger activity in the glymphatic system, the brain's waste-clearing network, along with lower levels of inflammatory molecules that can persist after a stroke.

How the Brain Clears Waste

The findings build on more than a decade of research led by URochester Medicine neuroscientist Maiken Nedergaard, MD, DMSc. Her laboratory discovered the glymphatic system in 2012. This system moves cerebrospinal fluid through the brain, helping remove waste products and other debris. Later studies found that glymphatic activity is especially strong during sleep and plays an important role in maintaining brain health.Neuroscientist Lauren Hablitz, PhD, later helped show that glymphatic activity is influenced not only by sleep, but also by circadian rhythms, the body's internal 24-hour clock. In a landmark 2020 study, Hablitz, Nedergaard, and colleagues demonstrated that glymphatic function follows daily cycles even independently of sleep, establishing a direct link between circadian biology and the brain's waste-clearing system.

Stroke May Disrupt the Brain's Timing

"The discussion of stroke recovery really starts with the idea that stroke is not just a vascular event, but also a disorder of timing," said Hablitz, lead author of the new study. Scientists have long known that strokes tend to follow distinct time-of-day patterns. They occur more often during the morning and are frequently more severe near the end of the sleep period. After a stroke, many patients also develop disrupted sleep-wake cycles. Those disturbances have been linked with worse recovery, depression, and reduced quality of life. "That led us to ask a simple question," said Hablitz. "If timing is broken after a stroke, can we improve recovery by reinforcing the biological clock?"

When the Brain's Cleanup System Slows Down

In a healthy brain, the glymphatic system carries cerebrospinal fluid along blood vessels and through brain tissue. This process delivers nutrients while helping remove waste products and inflammatory signals. Earlier research has shown that glymphatic function becomes impaired after stroke. That disruption may reduce the brain's ability to clear harmful molecules that accumulate during recovery. Stroke research has traditionally focused on separating beneficial inflammation from harmful inflammation and finding ways to suppress the damaging forms. Hablitz and her colleagues suggest that another part of the problem may be that the brain is no longer clearing inflammatory signals effectively. "We think part of the problem may be a failure of cleaning," she said. "If the system responsible for clearing signaling molecules isn't working properly, everything builds up."Under this model, stroke damages both brain tissue and the pathways responsible for removing inflammatory signals. As those molecules accumulate, they may contribute to continued damage and slower recovery.

Resetting the Body Clock

To test whether stronger circadian rhythms could improve recovery, the researchers examined several interventions known to affect the body's internal clock. These included timed light exposure, melatonin, a clock-targeting drug called KL001, and time-restricted feeding. The team first showed that each of these interventions could improve glymphatic function in healthy animals. They then selected the most promising strategies, KL001 and time-restricted feeding, and tested them in mouse models of stroke. Treatment did not begin until three days after the stroke, far beyond the narrow window used for clot-busting drugs and other acute stroke treatments. Even with that delay, mice that received either intervention showed better motor recovery, smaller lesion volumes, improved glymphatic flow, and lower levels of inflammatory cytokines in the brain. "All of the cytokines moved in the same direction," Hablitz said. "That suggests we may not be targeting one specific inflammatory pathway. Instead, we may be helping the brain clear inflammatory signals more effectively." One of the most promising approaches was time-restricted feeding, a behavioral intervention that is already being investigated for obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions. That could make the findings especially relevant for stroke rehabilitation because such an approach might eventually be easier to use outside specialized medical settings. "One of the exciting aspects of this work is that we're studying interventions that could potentially be implemented not only in hospitals but also at home," Hablitz said.

What Researchers Need to Test Next

The researchers emphasize that the findings so far are limited to animal models. More studies will be needed to determine exactly how circadian rhythms, glymphatic function, and inflammation influence one another after stroke. Future work will also examine whether improved glymphatic flow directly causes better recovery and whether circadian-based interventions can eventually be tested in clinical trials. More broadly, the study reflects a growing view in neuroscience that sleep, circadian rhythms, and fluid movement through the brain are central to brain health. By learning more about how the brain's internal clock regulates the glymphatic system, researchers hope to uncover new ways to improve recovery not only after stroke, but also in other neurological conditions involving inflammation and poor waste clearance. "Understanding how circadian regulation shapes glymphatic clearance will help us develop more targeted therapies," said Hablitz. "Ultimately, our goal is to find ways to improve the brain's ability to clear waste, reduce inflammation, and recover after injury." Health & Medicine Diabetes Heart Disease Mental Health Research Pharmacology Depression Mental Health Stroke Consumer Behavior RELATED TERMS

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Rochester Medical Center. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Emma Waight, Yuxi Zhu, Ashley Caudell, Velia S. Vizcarra, Evan Newbold, Michael J. Giannetto, Evalien Duyvestyn, Estephanie Balbuena, Wei Song, Tanzil M. Arefin, Yuki Mori, Maiken Nedergaard, Lauren M. Hablitz. Chronotherapy to reinforce circadian rhythms improves poststroke outcomes and glymphatic function in mice. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2026; 136 (12) DOI: 10.1172/JCI201800

Cite This Page:

University of Rochester Medical Center. "Resetting the body clock could help the brain recover after stroke." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 September 2026. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260924020407.htm>.

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

Is Red Wine Actually Good for You?

It can't be, don't you read research?

But this is impossible! Safest level of alcohol consumption is none, worldwide study shows

Is Red Wine Actually Good for You?

Enjoying a glass of red wine after a long day of work is one of life’s simple pleasures. But drinking red wine does so much more than just help the body relax. Despite some debate, research has shown that the beverage has several health benefits when consumed in moderation, which is no more than five ounces daily. Here’s a look at the health effects of red wine.

An image of a woman doing a puzzle — Credit: pixdeluxe/ iStock

Promotes Cognitive Function

The skin of the grapes used to create red wine has rich amounts of compounds called polyphenols. One specific polyphenol known as resveratrol is believed to improve short-term memory. Studies have also shown that resveratrol may inhibit the growth of proteins that contribute to brain diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Lessens the Risk of Heart Disease

The antioxidants found in red wine reduce the body’s oxidative stress levels, which can cause various heart ailments if too high. Resveratrol also lessens the risk of blood clots, prevents damage to blood vessels, and lowers the body’s “bad” cholesterol levels while increasing the body’s “good” cholesterol levels, helping regulate and lower blood pressure. The American Heart Association, however, warns that too much alcohol can harm the heart, so stick to just one glass per day.

An image of a man looking at a digital tablet that a colleague is showing at work — Credit: FG Trade/ iStock

Nourishes Eye Health

Resveratrol reduces bodily inflammation, including around the eyes. This lessens the risk of developing vision loss and other issues such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Polyphenols also enhance vascular function around the eyes, which allows for healthier blood flow.

Parkinson's Disease Gets New Treatment Approved

Yur competent? doctor better be up-to-date on this because of your risk of Parkinsons post stroke.

Parkinson’s Disease May Have Link to Stroke March 2017

Parkinson's Disease Gets New Treatment Approved

The FDA approved the dopamine agonist tavapadon (Juvmo) to treat adults with Parkinson's disease, drugmaker AbbVie announced Monday.

Tavapadon is an oral selective D1/D5 dopamine agonist that was studied as monotherapy for early Parkinson's in the TEMPO-1 and TEMPO-2 trials, and as adjunctive therapy with oral levodopa in advanced Parkinson's patients who had motor fluctuations in the TEMPO-3 trial.

Dopamine agonists are used to help manage symptoms and reduce reliance on oral levodopa escalation. Tavapadon is the first D1/D5 receptor agonist approved for Parkinson's; other available dopamine agonists primarily target D2/D3 receptors.

"Parkinson's disease treatment has long required healthcare providers to balance the need for dependable motor symptom control with considerations around treatment tolerability," said principal TEMPO trial investigator Hubert Fernandez, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, in a news release.

"Now we have a novel therapy that selectively targets D1/D5 receptors, which addresses a longstanding need for innovation and provides healthcare providers with greater flexibility to tailor treatment to individual patient needs," he added.

In the TEMPO-1 (fixed dose) and TEMPO-2 (flexible dose) studies, participants receiving tavapadon as monotherapy had a significant reduction in Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) part II and III combined scores at week 26 compared with placebo. MDS-UPDRS parts II and III scores reflect activities of daily living and motor performance.

In TEMPO-3, tavapadon adjunctive to levodopa significantly increased daily "on" time without troublesome dyskinesia at 27 weeks compared with placebo. Sustained efficacy to 85 weeks was seen for patients who continued in the open-label TEMPO-4 extension, AbbVie said.

Most adverse events in the trials were non-serious and mild or moderate in severity. The most common adverse events for tavapadon without oral levodopa included nausea, headache, dizziness, fatigue, dysgeusia, vomiting, dry mouth, and anxiety. When used with concomitant oral levodopa, the most common adverse events were nausea, dyskinesia, dizziness, headache, hallucinations, and orthostatic hypotension.

The drug may cause serious side effects. Prescribing information warns that tavapadon can cause hypotension or orthostatic hypotension, or lead to new or worsening dyskinesia. It may cause problems with impulse control or compulsive behaviors; if so, dose reductions or stopping treatment should be considered.

Tavapadon also may lead to psychotic-like behavior and hallucinations, which may be increased when it is co-administered with strong CYP3A inhibitors during the maintenance phase.

The drug will be available as 5-mg, 10-mg, and 15-mg tablets, as well as 0.25-mg and 1-mg tablets contained in a titration pack, AbbVie said. The company plans to make tavapadon available to U.S. patients in October.

DMT Shows Promise in Protecting the Brain After Stroke

Didn't your competent? doctor start prescribing this years ago? Oh no, incompetence reigned because your doctor doesn't follow stroke research!

Which proves your board of directors is so incompetent they can't recognize crapola in their hospital staff that needs to be removed! YOU need to reconstitute the hospital!

DMT (20 posts to November 2020)

DMT Shows Promise in Protecting the Brain After Stroke

Summary: New research shows that DMT, a natural psychoactive compound found in plants and the human brain, can protect against stroke damage in animal and cell models. Treatment with DMT reduced infarct size, brain swelling, and inflammation, while also repairing blood-brain barrier function.

The compound acted through Sigma-1 receptors to limit microglial activation and support astroglial cells, creating a dual protective effect. These findings suggest DMT could one day serve as an adjuvant therapy for stroke, expanding treatment options and improving recovery outcomes.

Key Facts

Barrier Protection: DMT restored blood-brain barrier integrity after stroke.
Inflammation Control: It reduced cytokine production and microglial activation.
Therapeutic Potential: Could complement limited existing stroke treatments.

Source: HUN-REN BRC

DMT, or dimethyltryptamine is a natural psychoactive molecule found in many plants and mammals.

According to an article published in Science Advances, researchers from the HUN-REN BRC Institute of Biophysics and Semmelweis University Heart and Vascular Centre found that DMT reduces the harmful effects of stroke in animal models and cell culture experiments.

This shows a brain. — This psychoactive compound also inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines in brain endothelial cells and peripheral immune cells, while reduced the activation of brain microglia cells through Sigma-1 receptors. Credit: Neuroscience News

A solution from nature in the spotlight

DMT is also present in the human brain, and it is currently undergoing clinical trials to aid recovery of brain function after stroke. However, its exact mechanism of action had not been fully understood until now. “It is amazing how we can always turn to Nature to find ingenious solutions for health problems” says co-lead author Mária Deli from the HUN-REN BRC.

The blood-brain barrier as a therapeutic target

“We found that DMT significantly reduced infarct volume and edema formation in a rat stroke model”, explains co-first author Marcell László.

In both animal experiments and cell culture models, the authors showed that DMT treatment restored the structure and function of the damaged blood-brain barrier and improved the function of astroglial cells.

This psychoactive compound also inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines in brain endothelial cells and peripheral immune cells, while reduced the activation of brain microglia cells through Sigma-1 receptors.

DMT could serve as therapeutic adjuvant to existing stroke treatments

“The therapeutic options currently available for stroke are very limited. The dual action of DMT, protecting the blood-brain barrier while reducing brain inflammation, offers a novel, complex approach that could complement existing treatments”, says Judit Vigh, co-first author of the work.

Since current stroke therapies do not always result in full recovery, a DMT-based treatment may represent a promising new alternative, mainly in combination with existing methods.

The recent findings from researchers in Szeged and Budapest, Hungary, support the development of a therapy that goes beyond the limitations of conventional stroke treatment. Clinical trials on the use of DMT and investigation on its long-term effects are currently ongoing.

About this neuroscience research news

Author: Anett Nagy-Demcsák
Source: HUN-REN BRC
Contact: Anett Nagy-Demcsák – HUN-REN BRC
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News

Original Research: Open access.
“N,N-dimethyltryptamine mitigates experimental stroke by stabilizing the blood-brain barrier and reducing neuroinflammation” by Maria A. Deli et al. Science Advances

Stroke Survivors’ Brains Rejuvenate to Compensate for Injury

How will your competent? doctor MAKE SURE THIS OCCURS AND DELIVERS 100% RECOVERY?

Stroke Survivors’ Brains Rejuvenate to Compensate for Injury

Summary: In a massive international study, researchers have discovered a surprising pattern of neuroplasticity in stroke survivors. Using deep learning to analyze brain scans from over 500 survivors across eight countries, researchers found that while a stroke accelerates aging in the damaged hemisphere, the undamaged side of the brain actually begins to look “younger” in its structure.

This regional rejuvenation—particularly in areas responsible for motor planning and attention—appears to be the brain’s way of “retooling” healthy networks to compensate for severe physical impairment.

Key Facts

Brain-PAD Marker: Researchers used AI to calculate the “Brain-Predicted Age Difference” (brain-PAD). A “younger” brain age in undamaged regions served as a sensitive marker for neural reorganization.
The Contralesional Shift: Survivors with the most severe movement deficits showed the most “youthful” structural patterns in the hemisphere opposite their injury, especially within the frontoparietal network.
Global Collaboration: The study was part of the ENIGMA Stroke Recovery Working Group, harmonizing data from 34 research sites to create the world’s largest dataset of its kind.
Paradoxical Adaptation: This youthful shift doesn’t necessarily mean the movement has fully recovered; rather, it reflects the brain physically adapting and “rejuvenating” healthy tissue to pick up the slack for the damaged motor system.

Source: USC

In a new study published in The Lancet Digital Health, scientists at the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) have discovered that the brains of people who experience severe physical impairment after a stroke may reorganize themselves in unexpected ways, showing signs of “younger” brain structure in undamaged regions as they adapt to injury.

The international research effort is part of the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Stroke Recovery Working Group, which analyzed brain scans from more than 500 stroke survivors across 34 research sites in eight countries.

Using deep learning models trained on tens of thousands of MRI scans, the researchers estimated the “brain age” of different regions in each hemisphere to see how stroke damage affects brain structure and recovery.

“We found that larger strokes accelerate aging in the damaged hemisphere but paradoxically make the opposite side of the brain appear younger,” said Hosung Kim, PhD, associate professor of research neurology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and co-senior author of the study.

“This pattern suggests the brain may be reorganizing itself, essentially rejuvenating undamaged networks to compensate for lost function.”

The research team used an advanced form of artificial intelligence known as a graph convolutional network to predict the biological age of 18 brain regions from MRI data. The difference between a person’s predicted brain age and their actual chronological age, known as the brain-predicted age difference (brain-PAD), served as a sensitive marker of neural health.

When the team associated these measurements with motor performance scores, they found a striking pattern: stroke survivors with severe movement deficits, even after more than 6 months of rehabilitation, showed younger-than-expected brain age in regions opposite the lesion, particularly within the frontoparietal network, a key system involved in motor planning, attention, and coordination.

“These findings suggest that when stroke damage leads to greater movement loss, undamaged regions on the opposite side of the brain may adapt to help compensate,” Kim explained.

“We saw this in the contralesional frontoparietal network, which showed a more ‘youthful’ pattern and is known to support motor planning, attention, and coordination. Rather than indicating full recovery of movement, this pattern may reflect the brain’s attempt to adjust when the damaged motor system can no longer function normally. This gives us a new way to see neuroplasticity that traditional imaging could not capture.”

The study was conducted through ENIGMA, a global alliance that unites data from more than 50 countries to better understand the brain across diseases. Researchers harmonized MRI data and clinical measures across dozens of cohorts to build the world’s largest stroke neuroimaging dataset of its kind.

“By pooling data from hundreds of stroke survivors worldwide and applying cutting-edge AI, we can detect subtle patterns of brain reorganization that would be invisible in smaller studies. These findings of regionally differential brain aging in chronic stroke could eventually guide personalized rehabilitation strategies,” said Arthur W. Toga, PhD, director of the Stevens INI and Provost Professor at USC.

The team plans to expand their work to include longitudinal studies tracking patients from the acute to chronic stages of stroke recovery. By observing how patterns of brain aging and reorganization develop over time, clinicians might be able to customize interventions based on each patient’s unique neural adaptation process, ultimately improving recovery outcomes and quality of life in the near future.

Key Questions Answered:

Q: How can a brain actually look “younger” after an injury?

A: It’s not about reversing time, but about structural density and connectivity. The AI models found that in response to a major “clog” or “break” in the motor system, the healthy side of the brain recruits more resources and builds more robust connections, mimicking the flexible, dense structure typically seen in younger brains.

Q: Does a “younger” brain mean a faster recovery?

A: Paradoxically, the “youngest” patterns were seen in those with the most severe physical impairments. This suggests that the brain only hits the “emergency rejuvenation” button when the damage is so extensive that the original motor pathways can no longer function at all.

Q: How will this change how stroke patients are treated?

A: Currently, rehab is often “one size fits all.” By using AI to see which parts of a patient’s brain are trying to “rejuvenate,” doctors could eventually create personalized physical therapy that targets and strengthens those specific healthy networks.

Editorial Notes:

This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
Journal paper reviewed in full.
Additional context added by our staff.

About this neurology and stroke research news

Author: Laura LeBlanc
Source: USC
Contact: Laura LeBlanc – USC
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News

What this blog is for:

Monday, September 28, 2026

My social connections/friendships are extensive after dumping the ex and moving to Michigan. I've got this covered.

Your incompetent? doctor and hospital will fail at doing further research and human testing to change 'could' to will! And I'm sure they didn't create sleep or glymphatic clearance protocols.

glymphatic clearance (10 posts to June 2022) sleep (242 posts to August 2010)

NOT DOING EITHER ONE IS PURE INCOMPETENCE!

How the Brain Clears Waste

Stroke May Disrupt the Brain's Timing

When the Brain's Cleanup System Slows Down

Resetting the Body Clock

What Researchers Need to Test Next

Explore More

It can't be, don't you read research?

But this is impossible! Safest level of alcohol consumption is none, worldwide study shows

Promotes Cognitive Function

Lessens the Risk of Heart Disease

Nourishes Eye Health

Yur competent? doctor better be up-to-date on this because of your risk of Parkinsons post stroke.

Parkinson’s Disease May Have Link to Stroke March 2017

Didn't your competent? doctor start prescribing this years ago? Oh no, incompetence reigned because your doctor doesn't follow stroke research!

Which proves your board of directors is so incompetent they can't recognize crapola in their hospital staff that needs to be removed! YOU need to reconstitute the hospital!

DMT (20 posts to November 2020)

About this neuroscience research news

How will your competent? doctor MAKE SURE THIS OCCURS AND DELIVERS 100% RECOVERY?

Key Questions Answered:

Editorial Notes:

About this neurology and stroke research news

Running a whitewater slalom course

woodturning course

glymphatic clearance (10 posts to June 2022)
sleep (242 posts to August 2010)