Advances in Stroke Recovery

My father suffered from the effects of a stroke for 8 years before he passed away last year. As unfortunate as it was to have him gone, seeing everything that the stroke had put him through was even more disheartening than his passing itself. So on the most personal level, the highlight of Dr. Chen's lecture on Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS), at Loyola University Chicago, was when he was going over everything that his research could accomplish for stroke recovery.

PNS works because of the additional electrical energy provided from afferent neural networks. When paired with direct current stimulation (tDCS), PNS can help yield better results for motor performance in disabled stroke victims than either of the two stimulations alone. This research has the potential to be so beneficial to others who are in a similar state as my father was, so I am excited to see how it evolves in the future.

In addition to this neurological advancement, the Wall Street Journal also shared an article with some new technological advancements that could improve rehabilitation. These are tools that are "more motivating and engaging" for patients than standard physical therapy alone. One of the most interesting to me was the robotic exoskeleton. The robots attach to the impaired bodily area and assist with movement. As the person's motor skills gradually improve, the support of the robot is gradually taken away. This is great because the robot will allow a person to be more independent at a quicker rate than standard therapy would allow. Video games are another method of motor recovery. One of these systems involves a Wii-like remote and specially designed games for motor recovery. These kinds of therapies are entertaining and produce great results since simple, repetitive exercises can get tedious.

Strokes are the leading cause of tong-term disability and they reduce mobility in more than half of survivors. It's terrifying to think that in a split moment, the rest of your life or the life of a loved one can be altered so devastatingly. Hearing Dr. Chen's talk and associating it with this article sheds light on all those wonderful people who are dedicating their lives to ensure that not everyone is forever a victim to this disease. I can't wait to see where the researches of people like Dr. Chen will take us in fighting this disease.


High Tech Tools Show Promise for Stroke Recovery
https://www.wsj.com/articles/high-tech-tools-show-promise-for-stroke-recovery-1466993040