Tech Talk: New brain implant trial at UW aims to improve stroke recovery

The University of Washington (UW) is offering new hope for people who have suffered a stroke by implanting a device directly in the brain. The device electrically stimulates areas during therapy in the hope of rewiring neural connections that help patients fully recover.

Dr. Jeff Ojemann, Vice Chairman and Professor of Neurological Surgery at UW, is running the clinical trial investigating the new treatment method. It builds off older trials from more than a decade ago.

“There have been studies where devices have stimulated the brain during therapy and shown that you can improve function after stroke, especially in the hand,” said Ojemann. “What’s particularly exciting about it is that you’re not creating anything new. You’re recruiting in the brain’s own ability to rewire.”

Brain implant trial run at UW

The recruiting and rehabilitation process to rewire the brain is known as ‘engineered plasticity’. The idea is that the brain can be remolded in ways to create new pathways and fix itself.

“We want to tap into that exact mechanism to make the improvement even better,” Ojemann said.

UW’s study lasts a little more than a year and includes six weeks of physical rehabilitation in addition to study visits. All rehabilitation is done by licensed therapists during one-on-one study visits. Patients will receive the device and all rehabilitation visits at no cost to them or their insurer, and UW will even reimburse parking expenses.

UW said they have four stroke victims lined up, ready to take part so far. A 52-year-old man just became the very first patient, and after years of relentless struggle, unwavering hope and tireless effort, he may finally be on the brink of opening the door to the recovery he’s been chasing for so long.

“The stimulation he’ll get at first will be similar to before near the end of his implantation, we’ll test the ability to recruit in other parts of the brain to help his recovery,” said Ojemann. “We’ll take it out after about nine months. Part of that is because it’s a new device. We don’t know what the long-term effects are. It’s better to have it out so you learn about the short to medium term effects before you commit somebody to a long-term effect.”

Ojemann and his team just implanted their device into that patient’s brain, and he went home the same day as his surgery. After he rests for a couple of weeks, doctors will then begin stimulating his brain with electrical charges.

Ojemann never imagined he’d one day be at the forefront of this kind of groundbreaking testing.

“You know, it’s something we definitely dreamed about, and it’s an amazing story when you look at the science behind it,” Ojemann said. “What’s extremely rewarding, and it’s really an example of what happens when a lot of people work together kind of park their ego on the side and really work towards a common goal of helping patients and helping people live a better life.”

Here is more information on UW’s clinical trial.

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