CLEVELAND, OH (CLEVELAND CLINIC) - Statistics show someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds in the United States. Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability. Now, a Cleveland Clinic study is exploring the use of deep brain stimulation to help those who've suffered a stroke recover.
Phase 1 of the trial involved 12 stroke patients suffering from moderate-to-severe muscle weakness on one side of the body, each had electrodes implanted into part of the brain. The electrodes were used to deliver electric pulses to help regain control of movements. Then the participants first underwent physical therapy with the deep brain stimulation device turned off for several weeks and then turned on for four-to-eight months. The most significant improvements were noted with deep brain stimulation turned on, and nine out of 12 people in the trial improved motor impairment and function.
"The traditional treatment for rehabilitation after a stroke is physical and occupational therapy, that remains the standard," said Dr. Andre Machado, Cleveland Clinic. "What the intervention did, what deep brain stimulation did, was to make the improvements greater than what physical therapy and occupational therapy alone could achieve."
Researchers add more research is needed, and the study is ongoing.
