New treatment lineup for post-stroke rehabilitation

By: Editorial Team | | Published: June 15, 2014 12:18 pm

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After making paralyzed rats regain their grip, Swiss scientists have discovered that motor skill rehabilitation might be a question of drug-therapy sequence for stroke victims. For rats in the laboratory who had undergone a large stroke, being given nerve fiber stimulating drugs before starting physical therapy was the right order of things. Also Read - Trembling hands: These could be the 5 reasons behind the condition

‘This new rehabilitative approach at least triggered an astonishing recovery of the motor skills in rats, which may become important for the treatment of stroke patients in the future,’ says first author Anna-Sophia Wahl. It’s not uncommon for victims of severe strokes to lose their motor skills permanently and despite rehabilitation efforts. Also read eight ways to keep stroke at bay.

Results concluded that timing is critical, and that antibody drugs must be administered early to block the arrival of proteins that inhibit nerve growth in stroke victims. Rats that started physical training after nerve growth-stimulating antibody drug treatment regained a surprising 85 percent of their motor skills whereas rats that started drug therapy and physical training concurrently regained just 15 percent.

‘Our study reveals how important a meticulous therapeutic design is for the most successful rehabilitation possible,’ sums up study head Martin Schwab. The brain has enormous potential for the reorganization and reestablishment of its functions. With the right therapies at the right time, this can be increased in a targeted fashion. also read how to recognize symptoms of stroke, provide help in the golden hour!

Anatomical scans showed that nerve fiber growth patterns in the spinal cord depended on treatment sequence, indicating that consecutive drug-training therapies are essential for stabilizing and redirecting the neural circuits.

The study was published in the journal Science.

Know what happens during a stroke

People suffer from a stroke when a part of their stops receiving blood supply. Within a few minutes, their brain cells begin to die and this could result in a long-term dysfunction of the body part controlled by the affected area. In India, stroke is the reason behind one-third of all deaths (0.8 million) caused due to heart disease. Unfortunately, the awareness about this disease is low and it often goes ignored despite the dangers associated with it. In this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the deadly disease.

Types of stroke

There are two main types of stroke, ischemic stroke and haemorrhagic stroke.

Ischemic stroke: This type of stroke is caused due to a block (blood clot) in the blood vessel. These blocks are caused by internal hardening of the arteries leading to the brain or clogging of arteries within the brain.

Haemorrhagic stroke: This type of stroke is more dangerous and has a higher death rate than haemorrhagic strokes. It is caused when bleeding occurs due to a tear in the blood vessel. This tear may be triggered by injury, excessive alcohol, lack of exercise, smoking and even some drugs like warfarin. Bleeding can occur either within the brain or in between the brain and inside of the skull. (Read: Stroke a reality check for young India)

Causes

Some of the causes that can lead to a stroke are as follows:

Ageing
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Cardiovascular diseases
High cholesterol
Obesity
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Excessive alcohol and drug abuse

Symptoms

Some of the signs and symptoms associated with stroke are:

Numbness
Weakness or paralysis on one side of the body
Sudden confusion
Severe headache
Trouble in speaking, understanding, seeing and walking
Dizziness or loss of balance

With inputs from AFP news

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Published : June 15, 2014 12:18 pm

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