News at UI Health

Almost 800,000 Americans experience a stroke each year, making it the leading cause of severe, long-term disability. Further, up to 60% of stroke survivors experience persistent hand and arm dysfunction after the initial event.

Now, UI Health is implementing a stroke rehabilitation procedure — vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) — to support improved motor recovery following an ischemic stroke, which accounts for almost 90% of all strokes.

“UI Health has been surgically implanting devices in the vagus nerve for various treatments and conditions for almost 30 years,” explained UI Health neurosurgeon Dr. Konstantin Slavin. “But this is the first time we’ve used this technology for stroke recovery, and we’re very excited to have it as a part of our multidisciplinary efforts to provide stroke survivors with a sense of hope.”

Drs. Fernando Pucci (left) and Konstantin Slavin (right) perform a surgery at UI Health.

Improving Neuroplasticity After a Stroke

Neuroplasticity refers to our brain’s natural ability to recover by reorganizing or rewiring itself to form new neural connections. This process is especially critical after a stroke, when neurons — which carry signals from one part of the brain to another — become damaged or lose function.

Neuroplasticity allows the brain to adapt by forming new pathways to restore function. However, this rewiring doesn’t happen instantly. It takes consistent, repetitive, and targeted therapy that can lead to small but meaningful improvements in patients, such as the gradual return of hand and arm movements.

“This is why we wait at least six months after the stroke to assess a patient for this procedure,” said Dr. Slavin. “It takes some time for a stroke patient’s deficits to be finalized. The symptoms or damages caused by a stroke may be different in a couple of months due to natural neuroplasticity.”

Vagus Nerve’s Role in Stroke Recovery

The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve, extending from the brainstem through the neck, chest, and abdomen.

The nerve acts as a vital link between the brain and several internal organs. You can think of neurons as vehicles carrying messages throughout the body, and the vagus nerve as a superhighway that gets them where they need to be to regulate functions like heart rhythms and immune responses.

Devices for vagus nerve stimulation have traditionally been used to treat epilepsy and depression by sending impulses to areas of the brain that cause seizures and affect mood. But this stimulation has also been shown to improve neuroplasticity by encouraging the brain to rewire itself more effectively, improving motor function and supporting stroke recovery.

Vagus nerve stimulation involves implanting a small device, which delivers electrical impulses to the vagus nerve.

How Vagus Nerve Stimulation Works

In a same-day procedure, doctors implant a wire around the vagus nerve and a pulse generator in a patient’s chest. But it’s the physical therapy that follows that actually delivers the benefits of vagus nerve stimulation.

During rehabilitation, a therapist uses a wireless transmitter to deliver stimulation to the vagus nerve while the stroke survivor performs goal-oriented tasks, such as lifting, grasping, or reaching. These actions are repeated hundreds of times per session to help promote neuroplasticity. Over time, this allows the brain to build new communication pathways, which can lead to meaningful improvements in arm and hand function.

“With ongoing advancements in neuromodulation procedures, UI Health is uniquely positioned to expand access to these breakthrough therapies,” added Dr. Slavin.

To learn more about VNS and other stroke treatment options, visit the Comprehensive Stroke Center at UI Health.