Researchers study magnetic brain stimulation to improve symptoms after stroke

Dr. Marcie Bockbrader adjusts an external brain stimulator on stroke survivor Debbie Hall at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

In an ongoing multi-center clinical trial, researchers are studying whether transcranial magnetic stimulation and occupational therapy can improve recovery for stroke patients.

For the study, patients are treated with transcranial magnetic stimulation, which stimulates a specific part of the brain using the Nexstim device, a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator (TMS), to help improve activity in the side of the body injured by stroke. The study currently has about 60 participants in 12 centers, but researchers are aiming to recruit 200 patients.

During a stroke, the blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a clot, called an ischemic stroke, or ruptures, known as a hemorrhagic stroke, depriving part of the brain from blood and oxygen. This leads to brain cell death and lasting deficits, which can include changes in speech, as well as vision and memory problems.

A patient may also lose feeling and movement in one side of their body due to decreased activity and function in the side of the brain injured by stroke.

The decrease in activity is similar to a negative feedback loop, such that the less activity that those neurons have, the harder it is for them to recover function and the greater the activity on the healthier side of the brain, principal investigator Dr. Marcie Bockbrader, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told FoxNews.com.

This imbalance actually prevents to some extent and to some people the recovery of function on the injured side, she said.

One therapy to address this imbalance is to physically constrain the healthy side of the body to allow the injured side of the brain and body to express itself.

While not all stroke patients experience this imbalance, a large proportion does. The study authors intend to demonstrate that delivering inhibitory stimulation to the healthy side of the brain combined with occupational therapy sessions, prompts increased activity on the injured side of the brain and results in better function on the side of the body weakened by stroke.

Previous studies have shown brain stimulation alone does not provide enough benefit, so combining the process with therapy is key, Bockbrader said.

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Researchers study magnetic brain stimulation to improve symptoms after stroke