Yekta Ansari, a PhD student at Bruyère, poses in front of her lab equipment.
How can thermal stimulation influence motor function in stroke survivors?
07/23/2018
Dr. Francois Tremblay, Yekta Ansari, and Anthony Remaud are investigating the potential of thermal sensory stimulation to improve the motor function of stroke survivors.
The use of sensory stimulation techniques is very common in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. However there are still many unanswered questions regarding thermal stimulation and the mechanisms behind its effects. To shed some light on the topic, Dr. Tremblay and his team are examining how local cooling stimulation in the extremities affects measures of brain excitability in healthy people.
Their test consists of applying cold stimulation to a participant’s finger while stimulating his or her brain with a non-invasive technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) using a coil positioned on the head.
The hope is that this data can provide new insight into how the brain works, and whether thermal stimulation is a viable route to help rehabilitate stroke patients.