Brain Stem Stroke Treatment Recovery (updated june 2009)

Having a brainstem stroke can be a very serious condition. Stroke treatment or recovery can be difficult. The brainstem is located in an area that is beneath the cerebrum of a person's head and in front of a their cerebellum. This is a vital area of the mind for a person's functioning. This area of the brain connects to a person's spinal cord. A person can have several symptoms of this type of stroke such as decreased capacity to breath, problems with balance, dizziness and sleep difficulties. Strokes that are localized in the brainstem may have a specific pattern of deficits in functioning that is the result of the interruption of the nerves there.

For many people, current therapies may be of limited value. However new technologies are constantly being created by scientists and may eventually help even very difficult cases. Japanese scientists have recently been able to synthesize whole brain tissue from stem cells. Stem cells may enable doctors to replace a person's damaged brain cells in the future. Recently the company reneuron has gotten the green light by the FDA to test stem cells to help stroke patients. Robotic neurosurgeons have been specifically developed so as to allow doctors to perform more precise brain surgery.

New methods of brain stimulation might also be used to alter the brain's plasticity and improve deficits in functioning. Transcranial magnetic stimulation has been used in the recent past to awaken a patient who was in a coma. These tools are becoming increasingly refined in their ability to affect the brain. They will likely enable doctors to precisely activate or deactivate specific brain areas. Another novel tool that could become available is called ultrasonic neuromodulation. It could potentially be used to increase neuron growth non-invasively. Other methods for altering brain functioning include transcranial direct current stimulation and deep brain stimulation. All of these could become future ways to rehabilitate those with strokes.

Scientists have been modeling new computer simulations of the brain. Ultimately they hope that these simulations will be able to accelerate research for all types of brain disorders. They could be used to test out pharmaceutical drugs ahead of time, before being tried on a patient. A few of the more ambitions computer brain models may not actually be that far off (15 years).

Brain-computer interfaces are another area of research that is being developed by scientists. They could be used to help people who are currently paralyzed. A brain-computer interface essentially takes brain waves recordings from a person's head. Those EEG readings are then translated into moving some kind of external device. This would enable a person who is "locked in" to be able to move some sort of robotic appendage, for example, solely with their own thought processes. Brain scanning technology is also something that is getting better. It is able to help stroke victims in a variety of ways. Brain scans have allowed researchers to communicate with patients who have had severe brain damage. MRI brain scans are also increasing in resolution of detail so as to allow doctors to assess strokes much better.

A brainstem stroke can often leave a person with a variety of disabling ailments. A person may to undergo either a brain scan or a neuropsychological examination to assess the stroke damage, depending on the extent of their condition. Then they may also need to have stroke rehab if their condition is not too severe.

The brainstem can control very specific involuntary muscles of a person's body. These muscles include those that are attached to the heart and the stomach. The brainstem is actually a relay station between the mind and the rest of your body. So a stroke here can affect a variety of different functions and it has many downstream effects on a person's body. Sometimes after a person has had a stroke, they may in fact become paralyzed from the stroke. The brainstem can be extremely vulnerable to having a stroke as it is at the rear of a your head. While this area may be a fairly small portion of the mind, it is very vital to your own bodily functions. It is important that people that exhibit this type of stroke symptoms seek both the proper medical and legal advice. It may be possible to successfully treat certain types of strokes. However, for many people the treatment options may currently be limited.