Even years after stroke, spinal cord stimulation could improve arm function

Article excerpt

Years after suffering a stroke, patients can still regain arm and hand function through electrical stimulation of the spinal cord, according to a pilot trial from University of Pittsburgh researchers published in Nature Medicine. The finding challenges the conventional wisdom that stroke recovery has a narrow window, suggesting the nervous system retains plasticity far longer than previously thought. The team used targeted electrical pulses to reawaken dormant neural pathways, enabling participants to recover meaningful control over limbs that had been partially paralyzed for years. The results offer hope to the millions of stroke survivors living with permanent disability, potentially opening a new avenue for rehabilitation even in the chronic phase of recovery.