Imagine having to relearn something you’ve been able to do your whole life. Many stroke survivors face this challenge, whether it’s walking, speaking, or previously simple tasks requiring manual dexterity.
Earlier this year, a UConn Health patient became the first in Connecticut to receive a device to help him regain function in his hands. Dr. Christopher Conner from UConn Health’s Brain and Spine Institute is the neurosurgeon who implanted it. That patient was able to surpass where he had plateaued in his recovery from the stroke that he’d suffered five years earlier. Others who since underwent this therapy, known as vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), also have shown progress in their recovery.
You’re taking people who have not had hope that they’re going to recover in years, and that’s really what we are providing them. — Dr. Christopher Conner
It works by putting the brain in an elevated state of learning, making it more receptive to occupational therapy, as Conner explains in the latest UConn Health Pulse podcast.
