Non-invasive Brain Stimulation Post Stroke

Abstract

Stroke is the second most common cause of death and dementia and the first most common cause of disability in developed nations. Tissue in the penumbra may be salvaged by reperfusion treatment using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator or thrombectomy with a stent retriever, which improves the ultimate neurological prognosis. However, because of the limited therapeutic window of 6 hours, it is only available to 5–10% of the community. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has recently gotten a lot of interest for its potential involvement in stroke recovery. When used correctly, NIBS methods employ electrical and magnetic stimulation to modify the excitability of deep brain tissue without harming it. This may result in long-term neuroplastic modifications. Based on different protocols, stimulation to the cerebral cortex can be either excitatory or inhibitory. This has led to NIBS being used therapeutically to alleviate depression. In recent years, stroke patients have been studied to see whether NIBS has therapeutic benefits on cognitive skills.