While there are warning signs of strokes, and not all strokes are serious, some can be life-altering, with serious consequences such as an inability to use certain limbs or becoming paralyzed altogether. While strokes have permanent life-altering consequences, recent research has found ways to possibly reverse such disastrous effects using electrical stimulation. With this new research, there is hope to make huge changes in stroke survivors' lives and help them bring their lives back to as normal as possible.
Research done by Chen and his team used electrical stimulation with motor training to help stroke victims regain their motor function.2 They tested 12 stroke patients who were placed in either a placebo or experimental group. The experiment lasted for 8 weeks, with patients receiving treatment twice per week for 40 mins. Results showed that participants in the experimental group had improved motor function compared to participants in the placebo group.2 However, these results were temporary, with researchers noting that patients who had received a stroke more recently had more long-lasting effects than patients who had a stroke at a later date.2 Regardless, these results are a step forward in improving the quality of life of stroke victims.
Similar research was conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh on stroke victim Heather Rendulic, covered by The New York Times.1 Ms. Rendulic had a stroke that disabled her left side. Her left hand was paralyzed to the extent that Ms. Rendulic could not perform daily necessary functions even ten years later. Researchers helped Ms. Rendulic regain some motor function in her left arm by implanting electrodes along her spinal cord.1 As Ms. Rendulic was performing different activities using her left arm, researchers delivered electrical stimulation simultaneously. With the electrical stimulation, Ms. Rendulic’s fingers were able to move at a more normal speed and with more flexibility. While this experiment's participant size was relatively small, with only Ms. Rendulic and another participant present in this research, the possibilities of how many people this research could help are limitless.
While both researchers performed similar research on stroke victims, there are still significant differences between the two studies that differentiate them from one another. Chen's research relied on working with the median nerves located in the arm to deliver electrical stimulation to correct stroke effects, while researchers at the University of Pittsburgh implanted electrodes in Ms. Rendulic's spine and delivered electrical stimulation. There are still many variables that need to be tested for electrical stimulation to become a successful treatment for stroke patients in the future. However, scientists such as Chen and researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have demonstrated that this treatment could help revolutionize the way stroke victims have to live the rest of their lives, not even being able to do even the most simplistic of daily tasks. With more research where these methods are combined, scientists can come up with a more long-term solution for stroke survivors.
Works Cited
Belluck, Pam. “Helping Stroke Patients Regain Movement in Their Hands.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/20/health/stroke-treatment-stimulation.html.
Pan, Li-Ling Hope, et al. “Effects of 8-Week Sensory Electrical Stimulation Combined with Motor Training on EEG-EMG Coherence and Motor Function in Individuals with Stroke.” Scientific Reports, vol. 8, no. 1, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-27553-4.
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