[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/07\/brain-stimulation-stroke\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/07\/brain-stimulation-stroke\/","headline":"How Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation May Improve Stroke Therapy Outcomes","name":"How Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation May Improve Stroke Therapy Outcomes","description":"This new treatment option may be used in rehabilitation centers around the country to help stroke survivors recover more strength and dexterity. Learn more. ","datePublished":"2018-07-17","dateModified":"2020-02-06","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/rehab","name":"UPMC Rehabilitation Institute","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/rehab","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc-rehabilitation-institute\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Brain-stimulatino-2.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Brain-stimulatino-2.jpg","height":327,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/07\/brain-stimulation-stroke\/","about":["Rehabilitation"],"wordCount":691,"articleBody":"It has helped ski jumpers jump farther, cyclists pedal faster, and weight lifters lift heavier weights. It\u2019s perfectly safe. And someday soon, if promising research at the University of Pittsburgh,\u00a0UPMC\u00a0and other institutions is successful, it may be used in rehabilitation centers around the country to help stroke survivors recover more strength and dexterity.function load_upmc_video_1_1dzkjd04(obj,autoplay){window[\"autoplay_1_1dzkjd04\"]=autoplay;let $this=$(obj),el=document.createElement(\"script\");$this.removeAttr(\"onmouseover\").removeAttr(\"onclick\").html(\"\");el.src=\"https:\/\/cdnapisec.kaltura.com\/p\/5687602\/embedPlaykitJs\/uiconf_id\/53926702\";document.body.appendChild(el);var waiting_1_1dzkjd04=setInterval(function(){if(window[\"KalturaPlayer\"] !== undefined){clearInterval(waiting_1_1dzkjd04);try{let kalturaPlayer=KalturaPlayer.setup({targetId:\"kaltura-video_1_1dzkjd04_6a0eeb24d7e24\",provider:{partnerId:\"5687602\",uiConfId:\"53926702\"},playback:{autoplay:autoplay_1_1dzkjd04}});kalturaPlayer.loadMedia({entryId:\"1_1dzkjd04\"});}catch(e){console.error(e);}document.getElementById(\"kaltura-video_1_1dzkjd04_6a0eeb24d7e24\").dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent(\"videoLoad\",{bubbles:true,detail:{\"selector\":\"kaltura-video_1_1dzkjd04_6a0eeb24d7e24\",\"account_id\":\"5687602\",\"player_id\":\"53926702\",\"video_id\":\"1_1dzkjd04\",\"autoplay\":\"autoplay_1_1dzkjd04\"}}));}},10);}Stimulating but Non-InvasiveThis new performance enhancer is called non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS). It\u2019s a way of waking up brain cells through electrical or electromagnetic stimulation and boosting their ability to learn new skills. For athletes, this means coaxing more performance out of muscles that are already performing at a high level. For stroke survivors, it can mean bringing inactive muscles back to life.\u201cOpening a fridge door, using a hair dryer; they seem like small things that we all take for granted,\u201d says\u00a0UPMC\u2019s\u00a0Amit Sethi, PhD, OTR\/L, assistant professor at The University of Pittsburgh. \u201cBut if you\u2019ve had a stroke and you can\u2019t move your hand, you\u2019re looking at a big disability.\u201dSince weakness in one hand is a common effect of stroke, appearing in about 85 percent of patients, Dr. Sethi and his team are focusing on hand rehabilitation in their ongoing study of the feasibility and efficacy of NIBS at\u00a0UPMC\u2019s\u00a0Rehabilitation Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Jump-Starting NeuroplasticityDr. Sethi\u2019s program blind-tests NIBS on two groups of chronic stroke patients who have passed the six-month window for recovery through conventional stroke therapy. One group is treated with occupational therapy and the other gets occupational therapy plus accompanying NIBS treatment. The NIBS is delivered in the form of externally applied electrical or electromagnetic pulse, targeted at the stroke-impaired area of the brain. \u201cWe\u2019re working with the brain\u2019s neuroplasticity\u2014that is the brain\u2019s ability to retrain nearby nerve cells to take over the function that injured nerve cells can no longer do,\u201d says Dr. Sethi.Why test NIBS on chronic patients as opposed to those who have just had a stroke? \u201cWe\u2019re testing after the six-month window so that we can isolate the effect of NIBS on recovery,\u201d he explains. \u201cTheoretically, the brain\u2019s own healing process is over after six months, and these patients typically have little chance of getting better. So if hand function improves, it\u2019s because of NIBS, not the brain\u2019s own healing process.\u201dPromising Results for Stroke PatientsSo far, the patients are, in fact, getting better in both groups. More than halfway into the study, co-sponsored by\u00a0UPMC, the University of Pittsburgh and the National Institutes of Health, more than 90% of the patients are showing significant results. \u201cSome of them are improving more than others, as much as twice what we\u2019d see in other studies,\u201d adds Dr. Sethi. Theoretically, these overachievers will correlate with the NIBS treatments, a hypothesis that will be evaluated when the study finishes next year.It has helped ski jumpers jump farther, cyclists pedal faster, and weight lifters lift heavier weights. It\u2019s perfectly safe. And someday soon, if promising research at the University of Pittsburgh,\u00a0UPMC\u00a0and other institutions is successful, it may be used in rehabilitation centers around the country to help stroke survivors recover more strength and dexterity.It\u2019s All About SynergyCurrently, 800,000 people in America suffer a stroke every year, a rate that\u2019s on the rise as our population ages. Rehabilitation therapy and techniques for improving its effectiveness are gaining importance as experts consider the future of healthcare. Dr. Sethi is looking to continue his research and work with the\u00a0UPMC Rehabilitation Institute at UPMC\u2019s new Vision and Rehabilitation Hospital in Pittsburgh, to be completed in 2020. The new multimillion dollar facility will serve one of the largest rehabilitation networks in the U.S., treating nearly 5,000 inpatients and more than 70,000 outpatients a year, and its impact on research will be significant.\u201cIt\u2019s more than just operating in a state-of-the-art facility,\u201d says Dr. Sethi. \u201cWe\u2019ll have better access to patients and a great opportunity to synergistically collaborate with the therapists to influence change.\u201d And with rehab, that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about.\u201d"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2018","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"07","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/\/07\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation May Improve Stroke Therapy Outcomes","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/07\/brain-stimulation-stroke\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]