FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – There’s new hope for patients who suffer the loss of function in their upper extremities following the most common type of stroke.
Broward Health neurosurgeon Dr. Aaron Brooking said the FDA recently approved the combination of an implantable vagus nerve stimulator and rehabilitation to help people regain the use of their arms and hands.
The decision was based on a trial involving over 100 patients.
“What’s interesting about this study is that most of the stroke patients were on average three years after a stroke and showed significant improvement, up to 50% improvement in arm function even on an average of three years out,” Brooking said.
Implantable vagus nerve stimulators have been previously used to treat seizure disorder as well as depression.
Excercise after chemo
And a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology finds that physical activity is a simple solution for patients concerned about the cognitive effects of chemotherapy.
Researchers studied breast cancer patients before, during and after treatment and found that exercise was associated with better cognitive function immediately and up to six months after completing treatment.