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Patients suffering from upper extremity weakness after stroke undergo occupational and physical rehabilitation to return to their regular activities. Many people never completely regain their old function. A new FDA approved therapy, paired-Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS) rehab, has been shown to have significant benefits over traditional rehabilitation. These patients are currently undergoing surgery for implantation of a VNS system and then complete specialized occupational therapy (OT). Our group aims to study why paired-VNS rehab is more effective than traditional rehab using non-invasive brain studies. We will collect MRIs and electroencephalograms (EEGs) on patients before and after their therapy to see how the brain responds and changes due to this therapy.
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