NeuroTalk Support Groups - Deep Brain Stimulation...another treatment for brain injury

Interesting article.

It sounds sort of parallel to the rehab technique used with brain injured who have suffered motor deficiencies. In those with motor deficiencies, the therapy is two fold. One, it send signals along the proprioceptor nerves to tell the brain what position and motion the muscles are in. This is often a dormant nerve system that needs the repeated signals to 'open' the nerve pathways and and awaken the receptors nerves in the brain. Two, it helps the patient focus movement initiation to the selected muscle group. This often is needed to overcome nerves that have been shut down for a long duration and have "forgotten"' how to function. This reminder helps the brain get refocused to the muscle task at hand.

Therapists have discovered that the vestibular system can get re-energized to understand the gait of walking by the patient riding on a horse. When the gait of the horse it felt by the vestibular system, the sensations remind the brain of the past walking experience. This allows it to replicate this motion in a walking attempt.

This deep brain stimulation could likely re-energize the lazy or dormant brain cells into responding to impulses and listening for future signals. The subject of this study had high levels of semi-consciousness that were likely easier to trigger into a waking state.

It is amazing how much research is going into the severe brain injured that is giving them the ability to survive their brain injuries and regain consciousness and even basic functioning. Hopefully, this research will provide some clues into ways to help the invisible walking wounded recover further from their PCS/mTBI symptoms.