A skilled physician, Dr. Zachary Lutsky has been practicing medicine for over 15 years. He has focused his career in the area of Emergency Medicine, serving in the emergency departments of several hospitals. Working in the ER, Dr. Zachary Lutsky has worked with many patients who have suffered strokes.
After a stroke, only a third of patients recover completely. The remaining two-thirds suffer from either paralysis or movement problems that continue long after the stroke.
These movement issues cause difficulties for patients in the home and in the workplace. Fortunately, scientists from UC San Francisco are working to help patients with mobility issues.
A new study published in Nature Medicine looked at neural activity in rats and discovered that low-frequency oscillations (LFOs) were found in the rats’ brains before and during their actions of grabbing a food pellet. In humans, these LFOs help the neurons in the primary motor cortex fire, which allows humans to engage in voluntary movement.
After the rats suffered strokes, their LFO levels were reduced but gradually returned, and they recovered their ability to move precisely and quickly. This demonstrated a strong correlation between the re-emergence of LFOs and the recovery of mobility. Considering epilepsy patients who had suffered strokes and also had reduced LFOs, researchers believe electrical stimulation of the brain may help patients regain their motor functions more quickly following a stroke.
After a stroke, only a third of patients recover completely. The remaining two-thirds suffer from either paralysis or movement problems that continue long after the stroke.
These movement issues cause difficulties for patients in the home and in the workplace. Fortunately, scientists from UC San Francisco are working to help patients with mobility issues.
A new study published in Nature Medicine looked at neural activity in rats and discovered that low-frequency oscillations (LFOs) were found in the rats’ brains before and during their actions of grabbing a food pellet. In humans, these LFOs help the neurons in the primary motor cortex fire, which allows humans to engage in voluntary movement.
After the rats suffered strokes, their LFO levels were reduced but gradually returned, and they recovered their ability to move precisely and quickly. This demonstrated a strong correlation between the re-emergence of LFOs and the recovery of mobility. Considering epilepsy patients who had suffered strokes and also had reduced LFOs, researchers believe electrical stimulation of the brain may help patients regain their motor functions more quickly following a stroke.
