Research: Brain damage from stroke might be reversible

The numbers are astounding: each year nearly 800,000 Americans suffer stroke. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, killing a person every 4 minutes. And stroke is the number one cause of disability in the nation, says stroke.org.

New research shows that permanent brain damage caused by stroke might be reversible, however. The new therapeutic technique combines a special protein with transplanted stem cells, according to a media report.

The “study could pave the way for a potential breakthrough in how we treat people who have experienced a stroke,” said a director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The organization funded the animal study under way at the University of Southern California.

Of the nearly 800,000 Americans who experience stroke each year, more than half suffer reduced mobility afterwards, a scienceblog.com article states. And nearly three-quarters of them have to live with neurological damage, including paralysis or muscle weakness.

When the chemical compound being researched was administered in test animals, they had 16 times more neurons than those who received a placebo, researchers said. “Functional deficit after five weeks of stroke were minimized,” a researcher said. The test “mice were almost back to normal.”

For those facing the prospect of long-term disability as a result of stroke, the research is heartening news.

For many applying for long-term disability benefits, the much-less-heartening news is that the insurer rejects their claim. With the help of an experienced Milwaukee attorney, you and your family can appeal that denial and pursue maximum deserved compensation.

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