Improving Deep Brain Stimulation for Stroke Recovery
Official title: Calcium imaging-based insights and guidance of deep brain stimulation to enhance chronic, post-stroke rehabilitation in a rodent model of ischemia
Funded at Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru · NIH-11168966 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to find better ways to use deep brain stimulation to help people recover movement after a stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $634,515 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS134577-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11168966 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational work is for future patients who have experienced a stroke and live with long-term movement difficulties.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not had a stroke or do not experience chronic motor deficits would not directly benefit from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
Current treatments for stroke recovery only help about half of patients, so there's a big need for new therapies for those with long-term movement problems. Our team previously conducted a human clinical trial that showed promising results for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in stroke rehabilitation, but recovery varied among patients. This project uses advanced imaging in animal models to understand why DBS works differently for individuals and how to customize the treatment. The goal is to learn how DBS helps the brain reorganize after injury and to develop personalized ways to adjust DBS settings for maximum recovery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to more personalized and effective deep brain stimulation treatments for individuals living with chronic motor deficits after a stroke.
How similar studies have gone: A previous Phase I clinical trial by this team showed promising but varied results for deep brain stimulation in stroke rehabilitation, indicating a foundation for this work.
Where this research is happening
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Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dana, Hod Michael — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Dana, Hod Michael
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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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Understanding how brain stimulation can improve recovery after stroke
This study is looking at how to make deep brain stimulation (DBS) work better for people recovering from strokes by testing it on rats, so we can find out why some people improve more than others and create personalized treatments for future patients.
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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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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.
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.