There are two main causes of stroke: a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or leaking or bursting of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke) in the brain. Any interruption in blood flow to brain tissue can cause brain tissue to die in just a matter of minutes. Research has recently discovered that this dead or dying brain tissue is toxic and can leak into the remaining healthy portions of the brain causing further damage.1
Impairments after stroke vary widely depending on the location of the obstruction and the extent of brain tissue affected. For example, If the stroke occurs toward the back of the brain, it’s likely that some disability involving vision will result. The most common disabilities after stroke are impaired speech, restricted physical capabilities, weakness or paralysis of limbs, difficulty gripping or holding things, and a slowed ability to process and communicate.
There is no doubt about it, a stroke can be devastating, but the human brain is amazingly resilient and has a remarkable ability to repair itself at any age. Because the brain can change, an ability called neuroplasticity, it can grow new neurons and even rewire itself throughout our entire lives. When brain tissue is damaged, the brain can sometimes build new pathways through healthy brain tissue to restore abilities. This is where neurofeedback can help.
While response to neurofeedback training is going to vary greatly depending on an individual’s specific brain damage, neurofeedback training can help the brain build new pathways to possibly accomplish functioning lost in the stroke — and the alterations are maintained after the training sessions.
Science and client histories show that neurofeedback can lead to dramatic improvements. Of course, not in all cases, but we never know what is possible until we try.
In one study, neurofeedback training increased brain neuroplasticity in stroke patients which was associated with improved emotional state, cognitive ability, and motor functions.2 It should be noted that even a slight improvement here is a big deal, since the patients in the study had experienced no further improvements at all using traditional therapies. Another study, confirmed that neurofeedback training helped post stroke gait and balance.3 A review of the research concluded:
“Neurofeedback may prove particularly useful in early stages after stroke, when physically strenuous interventions are not possible or recommended. In particular, neurofeedback can show the participants that they can take control over seemingly volitionless aspects of their impairment. This feeling of increased control will most likely benefit the individual through the recovery process. Additionally, neurofeedback training in the chronic stage of stroke, where spontaneous recovery has stopped, may trigger functional reorganization in structurally intact parts of the brain, possibly leading to a behavioral recovery that would otherwise not occur.”4
Frequently Asked Questions
About Stroke
We’ve gathered a list of commonly asked questions about Stroke, for your convenience. If you don’t see the information you need, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Simply click on the question that interests you to navigate directly to the relevant section.
Neurofeedback is a recovery support tool, not a standalone stroke intervention. After a stroke, the brain needs to reorganize around damaged tissue — this is neuroplasticity in action. Neurofeedback supports that process by helping the brain identify and train healthier electrical patterns. It works best alongside physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, not as a replacement for them.
We typically wait until the acute medical recovery phase is complete and your neurologist has cleared you for outpatient rehabilitation work. For some clients that is a few months post-stroke; for others it is longer. There is no cutoff on the other end — we have worked with stroke survivors many years out from their event.
The areas we see respond most are cognitive — attention, processing speed, memory, and brain fog. Emotional regulation often shifts too, since post-stroke depression and irritability are common and responsive to training. Physical recovery is not neurofeedback’s primary lane — physical therapy is.
Motor recovery belongs primarily to physical and occupational therapy. What neurofeedback can do is support the broader brain environment in which motor learning happens — better focus, less fatigue, better sleep — which often translates to getting more out of PT and OT. Some specialized neurofeedback protocols do target motor-related brain regions, and this is an emerging area.
Yes, once you are medically stable and cleared for rehabilitation activities. Nothing is going into the brain. We work closely with your medical team and move at the pace your recovery allows.
Stroke recovery training typically requires more sessions than most other applications — often 40 to 60 or more. The brain is reorganizing around actual tissue damage, which takes sustained training. We reassess with a repeat brain map partway through so you can see what is changing.
It may be helpful for some stroke survivors who are dealing with mood changes as part of recovery. Because every stroke is different, we view neurofeedback as a supportive tool within a broader rehabilitation plan, not a replacement for medical or therapeutic care.
Grey’s Plan — The Most Complete
Brain Training We Offer
If you want the most comprehensive, all-inclusive, guided solution for focus, behavior, and overall brain health—for your child or yourself, Grey’s Plan gives you everything needed to make the next 4 months the turning point.
Neurofeedback alone is powerful.
But when you combine brain training with gut testing, clinical oversight, and unlimited support, results come faster, smoother, and last longer.
Sources: 1. The University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, “UA Study: Brain Liquification After Stroke is Toxic to Surviving Brain”, accessed May 23, 2023. https://immunobiology.arizona.edu/news/ua-study-brain-liquefaction-after-stroke-toxic-surviving-brain
2. Nan, W., Barbosa Dias, A. P., & Rosa, A. C. (2018). Neurofeedback Training for Cognitive and Motor Function Rehabilitation in Chronic Stroke: Two Case Reports. Frontiers in Neurology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2019.00800
3. Effect of Neurofeedback Facilitation on Poststroke Gait and Balance Recovery
A Randomized Controlled Trial, Masahito Mihara, Hiroaki Fujimoto, Noriaki Hattori, Hironori Otomune, Yuta Kajiyama, Kuni Konaka, Yoshiyuki Watanabe, Yuichi Hiramatsu, Yoshihide Sunada, Ichiro Miyai, Hideki Mochizuki, Neurology May 2021, 96 (21) e2587-e2598; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011989 https://n.neurology.org/content/96/21/e2587
4. Wang, T., Mantini, D., & Gillebert, C. R. (2018). The potential of real-time fMRI neurofeedback for stroke rehabilitation: A systematic review. Cortex, 107, 148-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2017.09.006