Iowa Stroke Survivor Regains Hand Function After 6-Week Vagus Nerve Implant Therapy
Updated
Updated · KCCI Des Moines · Jul 29
Iowa Stroke Survivor Regains Hand Function After 6-Week Vagus Nerve Implant Therapy
1 articles · Updated · KCCI Des Moines · Jul 29
Summary
80-year-old Gary Luna, impaired after two strokes, is writing recognizable letters and returning to golf after receiving a vagus nerve stimulator implant in Des Moines.
After 1 week of a 6-week rehabilitation program, therapists saw marked gains as the device paired electrical pulses with repetitive exercises to strengthen brain pathways controlling arm and hand movement.
FDA-approved for certain stroke survivors at least 6 months post-stroke, the implant can improve function by 2 to 3 times, doctors said.
Des Moines surgeon Simon Wright said Luna was his first stroke patient for the procedure, and Iowa doctors expect wider use within 3 to 6 months with more patients already approved.
Doctors said Luna's progress is still unfolding, and it remains unclear whether the therapy could also help other stroke-related impairments beyond upper-limb movement.