Magnetic Stimulation Found Beneficial in Stroke Recovery

A recent study has found that transcranial magnetic stimulation can aid in stroke recovery and hemispatial neglect.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a procedure that uses a large electromagnetic coil against the patients’ scalp, creating electrical currents that will then stimulate nerve cells. When a patient has a stroke in one hemisphere of the brain, the balance and communication between the two hemispheres is disrupted, causing one side to be overactive and overloaded.  This procedure works to correct that imbalance.

The study featured 20 patients with hemispatial neglect. Half of the patients received the magnetic stimulation while the other half received a placebo version. Each group underwent treatment for two weeks, in which they also participated in conventional computer, pencil and paper activities. All of the patients were evaluated on their ability to process information at the end of the treatments, and then again two weeks after. Patients that had received magnetic stimulation improved 16 percent by the end of the treatment and an average of 22 percent two weeks later. The patients in the control group experienced no improvement.

Dr. Heidi M. Schambra of the Columbia University Medical Center said, “This study represents an important step forward in the effort to find ways to help people rehabilitate from hemispatial neglect after stroke.”

As a Los Angeles neurosurgeon, I’m glad to hear that there is finally a definitive treatment being developed to aid stroke victims in their recovery. If you experience chronic pain after suffering a traumatic event, speak with a pain management doctor.

Tags: hemispatial neglect, Los Angeles neurosurgeon, medical research, medical treatment, pain management, pain management doctor, stroke