Topic > Therapies to prevent and treat stroke

"The South African botanist Lyall Watson once said: "If the brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn't understand it." Countless studies have been conducted to explain its nature, but the human brain remains one of humanity's greatest enigmas. Similar to the human body itself, the brain requires resources, such as water and nutrients, to function properly once derived from these resources plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay A stroke occurs when plaque blocks a blood vessel, preventing it from sending resources to specific lobes of the brain, or when a blood vessel bursts, releasing blood into the surrounding meninges. The effects of strokes can range from speech disorders - called aphasia - to paralysis, given the hemispheric location in which the stroke occurs, the deaths of approximately 140,000 people each year and because it is the leading cause of long-term disability, numerous studies have been conducted to combat this medical tragedy. Given the increase in recent technological advances, noninvasive brain stimulation has become a promising, yet highly experimental treatment for stroke survivors. The development of research methods has given rise to a number of non-invasive brain stimulation methods. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is among the most studied methods because it uses an insulated coil, placed on the patient's scalp, to send electromagnetic pulses through the left side of the brain's frontal cortex, similar to how a brain machine does magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ago. Once "activated", cells release neurotransmitters. Given that it is one of the cheapest forms of non-invasive stimulation, since its equipment can be transported efficiently, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) seems very promising. Transcranial direct current stimulation uses cathodes to send direct electrical currents to participants' brains. There are two forms of tDCS; Anodal stimulation works to catalyze neuronal activity, while cathodal stimulation minimizes this activity. A study by Agnes Flöel, Nina Rösser, Olesya Michka, Stefan Knecht, and Caterina Breitenstein sought to test the capabilities of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation to help healthy individuals learn a new language and to assist in language acquisition in survivors to stroke. To do this, nineteen right-handed individuals were subjected to tests with anodic, cathodic and sham electrical impulses used as control treatments to the brain. The results showed that anodal stimulation promotes faster and more effective learning than other forms of stimulation. Although not a direct approach to the brain, researchers at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center conducted a study that intriguingly combined the use of noninvasive brain computer interfaces and functional electrical stimulation . Noninvasive brain computer interface (BCI) machines use brain activity to control devices outside the body. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) gives an electrical shock to the muscle, which activates the nerves, restoring minimal movement in the muscle. FES can potentially help the mind recover lost signals of movement of a particular muscle. A 43-year-old female stroke survivor who had extreme difficulty with joint movements of her hands was included in the case study. Through the combined efforts of,.”