Title : Clinical efficacy analysis of implantable VNS stimulation rehabilitation therapy for the patients with hemiplegia after ischemic stroke
Abstract:
Purpose: Currently there are no effective rehabilitation therapies for the upper limb movement disorders of the patients after ischemic stroke in clinical; it is difficult for these patients to return to society and work. Implantable VNS (Vagus Nerve Stimulation?VNS) is widely used in the therapy of refractory epilepsy locally and internationally. Recent clinical studies have found that implantable VNS also has a clear therapeutic effect on upper limb movement disorders of the patients with ischemic stroke. We therefore investigated whether implantable VNS therapy can improve upper limb motor function, speech, and cognitive function in patients with ischemic stroke.
Method: 40 patients with ischemic stroke were selected to undergo the surgical operation of cervical vagus nerve implantation. After VNS operation, these patients accepted implantable VNS and conventional rehabilitation therapies for 6 months, FMRI, EEG and multiple rehabilitation scales were used to analyze whether there were statistical changes in the patients' upper limb motor dysfunction, speech, and cognitive function.
Result: Implantable VNS therapy has statistical significance in improving upper limb motor dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and motor aphasia in these ischemic stroke patients;
Conclusion: Implantable VNS therapy may become a potential rehabilitation therapy for the patients with ischemic stroke in the future, but its clinical rehabilitation value for lower limb motor dysfunction, sensory aphasia and dysarthria still requires further studies.
