New brain implant could rewire stroke rehab

State of play: The device, developed by German neurotech company CorTec GmbH, was implanted last week in a 52-year-old man whose strokes have severely limited his mobility, according to UW Medicine.

• Doctors hope electrical pulses delivered to his brain during rehab will rewire neural circuits and improve function.
• The five-year study is funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

How it works: The device consists of two soft, flexible sheets embedded with tiny electrodes that are placed on the surface of the brain's motor cortex, the area responsible for movement, per UW Medicine.

• During rehab, the electrodes deliver precisely timed electrical pulses to stimulate brain activity when the patient attempts to move.
• This stimulation is designed to strengthen surviving neural pathways and help the brain form new connections to restore lost function.

What they're saying: Stroke patients often recover some, but not all, function, said Jeffrey Ojemann, study co-lead and vice chair of neurological surgery at the UW School of Medicine.

• "We want to see whether by stimulating the brain during rehabilitation sessions we can help them regain more function," Ojemann said.

What's next: The study will enroll four patients in the initial safety trial and eight more in a follow-up phase.

• See if you are eligible to join the clinical trial.

Editor's note: this story was updated with information to check eligibility for the trial.