Improving Stroke Rehabilitation with Vagus Nerve Stimulation

I've got 27 posts on vagus nerve back to July 2012. I'm sure there could be a stroke protocol written from those already. But we have shit for brains in stroke leadership, doing absolutely nothing for survivors. 
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-5804-2_23

• Authors
• Authors and affiliations

• Seth A. HaysEmail author

• Seth A. Hays
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  Email author

1. 1.Texas Biomedical Device CenterRichardsonUSA
2. 2.Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer ScienceThe University of Texas at DallasRichardsonUSA
3. 3.School of Behavioral Brain SciencesThe University of Texas at DallasRichardsonUSA

Chapter

First Online: 22 December 2017

• 14 Downloads

Part of the Translational Medicine Research book series (TRAMERE)

Abstract

Stroke is a leading cause of neurological damage, with an estimated 795,000 cases reported in the United States each year. A large percentage of patients who suffer a stroke exhibit long-term impairments in motor function. Poststroke rehabilitation in part aims to promote adaptive changes in neural circuits to support recovery of function, but insufficient or maladaptive plasticity often limits benefits. Adjunctive strategies that support plasticity in conjunction with rehabilitation represent a potential means to improve recovery after stroke. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has emerged as one such targeted plasticity strategy, providing phasic activation of neuromodulatory nuclei associated with plasticity. Repeatedly pairing brief bursts of VNS with motor training drives robust, specific plasticity in neural circuits. A number of studies in animal models of stroke and neurological injury demonstrate that VNS paired with rehabilitative training improves recovery of motor function. Moreover, emerging evidence from clinical trials indicates that VNS delivered during rehabilitation promotes functional recovery in stroke patients. Here, we provide a discussion of the existing literature of VNS-based targeted plasticity therapies in the context of stroke and outline challenges for clinical implementation.