How rehabilitation after a stroke affects brain recovery
Official title: Impact of post-stroke rehabilitation on neurophysiological dynamics
Funded at University of Kansas Medical Center · NIH-11075879 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how rehabilitation after a stroke helps the brain heal and regain movement, using monkeys to see how their brain activity changes when they start therapy soon after a stroke, with the goal of finding the best ways to help people recover their motor skills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | April 17, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $693,671 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS131466-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11075879 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who have recently experienced a stroke and are undergoing rehabilitation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not recovering from a stroke or those with chronic conditions unrelated to stroke may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how post-stroke rehabilitation influences the brain's ability to reorganize itself and recover motor functions. Using a non-human primate model, the study will track changes in brain activity and connectivity in response to rehabilitation efforts initiated shortly after a stroke. By understanding these neurophysiological changes, the research aims to establish a clearer link between rehabilitation practices and improvements in motor skills. This could provide insights into the timing and methods of rehabilitation that are most effective for recovery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved rehabilitation strategies that enhance recovery of motor function in stroke patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that rehabilitation can lead to neural plasticity and recovery, but this research aims to provide novel insights into the timing and mechanisms involved.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Guggenmos, David — University of Kansas Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Guggenmos, David
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how vagus nerve stimulation helps stroke recovery to guide better treatments
This NIH grant uses computer models to figure out how brief, task-timed vagus nerve stimulation affects the brain after stroke and helps movement recovery.
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Calcium imaging guides deep brain stimulation to boost chronic stroke recovery in a rat model
A research team is testing how customizing deep brain stimulation parameters in rats with stroke can improve long-term motor recovery, with the goal of guiding future patient treatments.
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Targeting synapse turnover to boost stroke recovery
Aims to find ways to shape brain rewiring after stroke by guiding how synapses grow, with the goal of helping adults recover upper-limb function.
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Wearable EMG-FES System to Help Stroke Recovery and Find Biological Markers
A wearable sleeve that uses your own muscle signals to help arm movement after stroke, while researchers look for biological clues that track recovery.
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Noradrenergic VNS to boost stroke rehab outcomes
A patient-oriented look at a therapy that combines brief vagus nerve stimulation with physical rehab to help people recover arm movement after a stroke.
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How rehab changes the brain after stroke
This project will look at how rehabilitation training changes brain activity and connections after stroke to help people regain movement.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.