A Potential New Treatment to Assist Stroke Recovery

A sham-controlled study of vagus nerve stimulation provides preliminary signs of safety and efficacy.

In survivors of ischemic stroke, about 60% are reported to have some level of upper-extremity (UE) weakness 6 months poststroke. Conventional physical and occupational therapy is offered to these patients, but a novel approach is to combine vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with therapy. In rodent models, VNS improved limb function following stroke, perhaps via modulation of neurotransmitters in the motor cortex. To test VNS in humans, researchers conducted a sham-controlled trial of VNS in patients with previous stroke and UE involvement. The study was manufacturer-funded. Patients in the VNS group received stimulation paired with therapy three times per week for 6 weeks. The control group received the same therapy program plus sham stimulatio…

Reviewing Author

Seemant Chaturvedi, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBayer Pharmaceuticals; Novartis

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Editorial BoardsNeurology; Stroke

Seemant Chaturvedi, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBayer Pharmaceuticals; Novartis

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Editorial BoardsNeurology; Stroke

A Potential New Treatment to Assist Stroke Recovery

Topics

Reviewing Author