• Neurorehabil Neural Repair · Aug 2016

    Vagus Nerve Stimulation During Rehabilitative Training Improves Forelimb Recovery After Chronic Ischemic Stroke in Rats.

    • Navid Khodaparast, Michael P Kilgard, Reema Casavant, Andrea Ruiz, Iqra Qureshi, Patrick D Ganzer, Robert L Rennaker, and Seth A Hays.
    • The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA.
    • Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2016 Aug 1; 30 (7): 676-84.

    Background And ObjectiveStroke is a leading cause of long-term disability. Currently, there are no consistently effective rehabilitative treatments for chronic stroke patients. Our recent studies demonstrate that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with rehabilitative training improves recovery of function in multiple models of stroke. Here, we evaluated the ability of VNS paired with rehabilitative training to improve recovery of forelimb strength when initiated many weeks after a cortical and subcortical ischemic lesion in subjects with stable, chronic motor deficits.MethodsRats were trained to perform an automated, quantitative measure of voluntary forelimb strength. Once proficient, rats received injections of endothelin-1 to cause a unilateral cortical and subcortical ischemic lesion. Then, 6 weeks after the lesion, rats underwent rehabilitative training paired with VNS (Paired VNS; n = 10), rehabilitative training with equivalent VNS delivered 2 hours after daily rehabilitative training (Delayed VNS; n = 10), or rehabilitative training without VNS (Rehab, n = 9).ResultsVNS paired with rehabilitative training significantly improved recovery of forelimb function compared with control groups. The Paired VNS group displayed an 86% recovery of strength, the Rehab group exhibited 47% recovery, and the Delayed VNS group exhibited 42% recovery. Improvement in forelimb function was sustained in the Paired VNS group after the cessation of stimulation, potentially indicating lasting benefits. No differences in intensity of rehabilitative training, lesion size, or MAP-2 expression were observed between groups.ConclusionVNS paired with rehabilitative training confers significantly greater recovery of forelimb function after chronic ischemic stroke in rats.© The Author(s) 2015.

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