There are numerous things wrong with this article, will discuss inline.
While more people are surviving strokes, many still face long-term
disability. But Johns Hopkins research finds promising ways to retrain
the brain and regain independence. Here’s what experts have learned
about the power of physical rehab.
The good news about stroke: More people are surviving the initial
stroke. The bad news about stroke: More people are surviving the initial
stroke with disabilities which might have been minimized if they had
received the kind of early, intensive physical rehabilitation that
researchers find can improve function and reduce long-term disability.
In fact, as many as 60 percent are left with diminished use of an arm or
leg.
“When we speak about recovery we’re really talking about how the
nervous system adapts to the brain missing a part of functioning
tissue,” explains Johns Hopkins expert Steven Zeiler, M.D., Ph.D. “We’ve
done all we could in the acute period
(bullshit, you have done fucking nothing for the neuronal cascade of death), but the damage is done and it’s
irreversible.” The question then becomes, “How do you get the remainder
of the nervous system to adapt?” In other words, can we get other parts
of the brain to pick up the slack? Turns out that yes, we can.
Since Pedro Bach-y-Rita fully recovered with only a partial brain then our stroke medical 'professionals' can duplicate that! Way back in 1958 so plenty of time to analyze and create 100% recovery protocols!
Retraining the Brain
A groundbreaking Johns Hopkins study from Zeiler and his colleagues
confirmed what clinicians have long suspected—we can rewire the brain so
that one part takes over functions typically handled by another, now
damaged, area.
In studies conducted with mice, the researchers first taught the mice
a special way to reach for food. The task is typically directed by a
part of the brain called the
primary motor cortex, which is
involved in physical coordination. Then they gave the mice mild strokes
that damaged this motor cortex
(NO testing of very damaging strokes, limited applicability to real life. In my case most of the motor cortex is dead, so start testing for dead brain rehab!). As expected, the mice could no longer
perform the reaching task with their pre-stroke level of precision. Two
days after the stroke, however, researchers began retraining the mice
and, after a week, the mice performed the task just as well as before
the stroke.
The damaged part of the brain hadn’t recovered, says Zeiler. Instead, another part of the brain called the
medial premotor cortex took over. To show that, researchers gave the mice strokes in
that part of the brain and saw the reaching ability again disappear. But, once again, the mice relearned the task as yet
another part of the brain stepped in to handle the job of the medial premotor cortex.
In a similar study, the researchers found that the earlier retraining
started, the better. “If you retrained the mice after a one-day delay
they got better, but after a seven-day delay they didn’t improve,”
Zeiler says.
Johns Hopkins’ Kata Project, a collaboration between neuroscientists,
engineers, animal experts, artists and entertainment industry experts,
has designed an immersive experience for post-stroke patients who will
try to “swim” as a virtual dolphin named Bandit. Upcoming clinical
trials will determine if this unique experience helps patients recover
motor function faster than the current conventional treatment of
repetitive exercises.
The Power of Stroke Rehab
The take-home message of the research, says Zeiler, is that “early
and intense” rehabilitation—even while still hospitalized—is critical in
stroke recovery. Unfortunately, that’s not always the standard
practice, he says. “As a medical community we need to push for immediate
and intense change in rehabilitation.”
(Why the hell not an intense change in stopping the neuronal cascade of death?)
Rehab paired with healthy living will help stroke recovery and help
prevent a second stroke. If you experience an ischemic stroke (caused by
a lack of blood flow to a part of the brain), your doctor will
recommend aspirin or another anti-clotting medication, Zeiler says. If
you have atrial fibrillation, talk to your doctor about an
anticoagulation medication such as warfarin. Other smart steps to take:
- Maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which differ depending on your age and medical history.
- Eat a Mediterranean-type diet: high in olive oil, legumes, cereals, fruits, and vegetables and low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
- Get moderate physical exercise such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming for 30 to 60 minutes at least four days a week.
- Aim for a healthy weight, including a waist circumference of less than 31.5 inches for women and 37 for men.
