Scientists are working to enhance stroke recoveryCraig Boylan
A well-known actor who had experienced a stroke was treated by stroke specialist Sandor Nardai. The actor had been left with aphasia, or an impaired ability to speak – brutal for anyone, but “probably the most devastating thing that could happen to an actor”, says Nardai.
After three months of recovery, though, the actor was able to say some words. After a year, he voiced a commercial. Remarkably, he eventually got well enough to return to live theatre, says Nardai, who is at Semmelweis University in Hungary.
For every happy story like this, though, there are many people who survive stroke but have less encouraging ones. Strokes send the brain into freefall, damaging areas that control cognitive and physical functions. Only an estimated 35 per cent of survivors make a full recovery or live with only minor impairments. The majority have profoundly life-altering issues, like aphasia, paralysis, behavioural changes or cognitive and sensory challenges. The numbers are dizzying: almost 100 million live with the after-effects of a stroke, making it one of the most common causes of disability globally.
As the actor’s story shows, the brain is capable of extraordinary transformation and restoration after a stroke, but some people reap more of those benefits than others. Now, we are learning why – and with that knowledge, developing new treatments that can help more of us recover.
