Cerebrovascular

A stroke is a serious life-threatening medical condition that happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. It is a leading cause of death and adult disability.

Or cerebrovascular theme focuses on acute therapies, prevention and rehabilitation with the aim to significantly impact the quality of life, disability and life expectancy of stroke patients.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals actively take part in major prevention projects that translate the theoretical benefits of:

Antiplatelet drugs
Anticoagulants
Cholesterol-lowering agents
Surgical technologies

Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation for Upper Limb Rehabilitation after Stroke

Sheffield stroke researchers have been awarded the Efficacy & Mechanism Evaluation grant by the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health Research to investigate whether non-invasive transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS) paired with physiotherapy of the affected weak arm in patients with post-stroke improves motor function. If successful, tVNS has the potential to be an affordable, home-based therapy that patients can initiate safely and independently alongside self-taught exercises to improve arm function, increase activities of daily living, and reduce carer burden.