Sensory stimulation therapy
Research suggests that this technique may reverse cognitive ageing by up to 30 years, and may selectively improve or impair two point discrimination thresholds.
It is extremely important, then, that we establish an effective treatment for people with such symptoms to either reduce, or diminish dementia altogether.
Various researchers are using this concept to develop new therapies for conditions that were previously viewed as permanent; for example Paul Bach-y-Rita has worked on devices to give sight to blind individuals, and alleviate a feeling of falling in a patient that has lost function of the vestibular apparatus.
A recent study by Sarkamo et al. has shown that listening to music and audio books during early recovery from stroke can result in improved cognition.
[4] This paradigm has opened doors into the previously believed to be impossible; recovery from strokes, reduced cognitive ageing.
However, due to lack of knowledge and successful research in this field, little is known about the rates of clinical decline and brain atrophy.
It has been shown that as much as a 46% decrease in dendrite spine number and density can occur in humans over 50 years old when compared to older participants.
We would not be able to feel things like temperatures, pain, pressure, vibration, and skin rash without the unwavering help of our somatosensory system.
[10] The peripheral nervous system has the ability to understand touch, pressure, vibration, limb position, heat, coldness, and pain.
[14] A recent study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation followed four patients recovering from strokes while undergoing electrical sensory stimulation therapy.
[15] This result brings an interesting possibility to light for the future of this technique; SS could be used to both recover lost sensory function, but also to dull chronic pain.
The American Stroke Association published an article in 2005 by Sawaki et al. on the possible use of SS to supplement UDP therapies.
They suspected that because of the importance of somatosensory information in movement, that enhancing sensory processing through SS could also improve UDP.
Studies with that use fMRI and PET scans have shown that the degree of activation increases in the motor cortex of patients undergoing intensive therapies.
Patients suffering from hemiparetic stroke[17] often lose their ability to stand upright and hold their posture on their own.
As both groups were being treated for post stroke symptoms, it was thought that these perturbations would enhance their posture and motor movements naturally.
Furthermore, patients who had any additional sensory stimulation were comparable acquired values approaching the normal for age-matched healthy subjects when postural control was measured.
The sensory stimulation tests enhanced at least partial recovery of postural function for up to 2 years after the stroke and treatment.
After testing, it was deduced that improved recovery after sensory stimulation can be accomplished by patients regaining near normal dynamics of human postural control.
Postural control is one of the most important issues in rehabilitation of stroke, thus concluding that sensory stimulation obtained from this study may enhance the functional plasticity of the brain.
[2] SS takes advantage of this paradigm and the senses are presented with simple stimulation to cause changes inside the brain.
[15] In the case of LTP as much as 30 years of sensory loss has been shown to be recoverable in relatively short time periods.
[12] SS has been paired with Use Dependant Plasticity training systems and it has been shown that enhanced recovery is produced from the combination.
[14] One of the striking advantages of this technique is that it is not necessary for the participant to pay attention to the stimulus in order to gain benefit from the therapy.
