Imagine having to relearn something you\u2019ve been able to do your whole life. Many stroke survivors face this challenge, whether it\u2019s walking, speaking, or previously simple tasks requiring manual dexterity.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, a UConn Health patient became the first in Connecticut to receive a device<\/a> to help him regain function in his hands. Dr. Christopher Conner<\/a> from UConn Health’s Brain and Spine Institute<\/a> is the neurosurgeon who implanted it. That patient was able to surpass where he had plateaued in his recovery from the stroke that he\u2019d suffered five years earlier. Others who since underwent this therapy, known as vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), also have shown progress in their recovery.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span>You\u2019re taking people who have not had hope that they\u2019re going to recover in years, and that\u2019s really what we are providing them. — Dr. Christopher Conner<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/span><\/p>\n 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<\/em> podcast.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
Listen now:<\/h3>\n