Stroke Victims May Gain From Later Therapy

Rehabilitation and other therapies months after a stroke can help stroke survivors in the recovery process, researchers said Thursday.

For instance, doctors are qualifying potential participants for a study in which researchers will implant electrical stimulators just inside the skulls of stroke survivors, the Boston Globe said. The study is aimed at helping brains rewire enough to restore movement in arms and legs.

Researchers are looking into new forms of physical therapy and intensive exercise tailored for long standing weakness, as well as drugs, devices, and even futuristic methods using stem cells or gene therapy.

We’re still limited in how much we can influence the recovery process, said Joel Stein, chief medical officer at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, who is overseeing the electrical stimulation study. But in the last 10 or 15 years, we’ve recognized that there is recovery of the brain to a meaningful degree, and, equally important, we can influence that recovery.

The Journal of the American Medical Association last month published a study of 220 stroke survivors that found that even months after a stroke, intensive, guided exercise could help restore some hand and arm function.