According to a new study, stem cell stimulation could help improve stroke recovery. This noninvasive stroke treatment has the potential to improve the quality of life for many stroke patients. The research was conducted by a team from Emory University.
For the study, neural stem cells were injected into the brains of mice after a stroke. The team activated the cells via nasal administration of a protein. The novel noninvasive technique is known as optochemogenetics. Researchers discovered these stem cells grew and formed healthy connections compared to those stem cells that were not stimulated. The mice that were given this form of treatment were able to recover in a healthier way and exhibited behaviour before the stroke. The stem cell injection and stimulation combination helped the mice recover successfully. The study's findings were originally published in JNeurosci.
Previous warns smokers who have a stroke are likely to experience another one if they don’t quit smoking. "Smoking after a stroke has the same effects on the body as before the first stroke,” Allan Hackshaw, a researcher at University College London in the UK, told a news portal. Adding, “It can lead to problems with blood flow in the brain, and contribute to clots being formed in the blood vessels - and either of these increase the chance of having a stroke."Hackshaw further explained: “Cutting back would reduce the risk a bit, but the study shows that quitting completely has a large reduction in the risk of a second stroke.”
Another study, published in the European Journal of Neurology, has found that women are more likely to suffer from severe depression after a stroke than men. "While we cannot pinpoint exactly why depression is more common among women, it could be that women draw more of their sense of self and self-worth from their social relationships and so are more sensitive to challenges in maintaining these,"lead author Dr Salma Ayis from the School of Population Health & Environmental Sciences at King's College London, told a news portal.
