Neuron Implants Shown to Aid Stroke Patients

An imaging study has revealed that 12 months after neurons were implanted in damaged areas of their brains, stroke patients are showing the first signs of cellular growth. Conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh (UPMC, PA, USA), the study was reported in the September 2001 issue of Neurosurgery.

Positron emission tomography (PET) scans taken six months after surgery to implant the neurons showed more than a 10% increase in metabolic activity in the damaged parts of some patients' brains compared to scans taken just a week prior to surgery. The increased metabolism corresponded with better performance on standardized stroke tests for behavioral and motor function. The scans taken at 12 months post-surgery showed that metabolism in the implanted area itself had lessened to baseline, but the surrounding area in some patients showed maintained or even improved function—perhaps evidence that the neurons were becoming integrated into the brain. In the stroke areas, only two of 11 patients showed a greater than 10% increase in metabolism at six months, but after a year, five of 11 patients had at least one scan demonstrating a rise in relative metabolism over baseline. Metabolism was measured by the uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) by the cells.

"These changes in glucose metabolism in the stroke and surrounding brain tissue may represent cellular activity or grafting of the implanted neurons,” said Carolyn Cidis Meltzer, M.D., associate professor of radiology at UPMC and principal author of the study. "Although this is not direct evidence of synapse formation, it does suggest that the new neurons are being wired into the brain.”




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