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
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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