Early intervention with electrical stimulation reduces neural damage after stroke in non-human primates

Abstract For patients experiencing ischemic stroke, acute intervention offers the most critical therapeutic opportunity as it can reduce irreversible tissue injury and improve functional outcomes. However, currently available treatments within the acute window are highly limited and have strict pati...

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Main Authors: Jasmine Zhou, Karam Khateeb, Azadeh Yazdan-Shahmorad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61948-y
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author Jasmine Zhou
Karam Khateeb
Azadeh Yazdan-Shahmorad
author_facet Jasmine Zhou
Karam Khateeb
Azadeh Yazdan-Shahmorad
author_sort Jasmine Zhou
collection DOAJ
description Abstract For patients experiencing ischemic stroke, acute intervention offers the most critical therapeutic opportunity as it can reduce irreversible tissue injury and improve functional outcomes. However, currently available treatments within the acute window are highly limited and have strict patient selection criteria. Although emerging neuromodulation techniques have been proposed as a treatment for chronic stroke, acute stimulation is rarely studied due to concerns about exacerbating ischemia-induced electrical instability. Here, we demonstrate that acute cortical electrical stimulation, administered one hour post-stroke, provides neuroprotection in non-human primate brains. Using advanced electrophysiology and histology tools, we found that applying continuous theta burst electrical stimulation directly adjacent to the ischemic lesion significantly reduced neural activity in the surrounding tissue, as evidenced by lower electrocorticography signal power and c-Fos expression. This reduced depolarization was accompanied by decreases in neuroinflammation and infarct volume in the sensorimotor cortex. These findings suggest that acute electrical stimulation may serve as a safe and effective early intervention, offering a promising therapeutic strategy to improve outcomes in ischemic stroke.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
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publishDate 2025-07-01
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series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-05c8bce0cf3c4b778532613b1fd2e9a92025-08-20T04:03:01ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-61948-yEarly intervention with electrical stimulation reduces neural damage after stroke in non-human primatesJasmine Zhou0Karam Khateeb1Azadeh Yazdan-Shahmorad2Department of Bioengineering, University of WashingtonDepartment of Bioengineering, University of WashingtonDepartment of Bioengineering, University of WashingtonAbstract For patients experiencing ischemic stroke, acute intervention offers the most critical therapeutic opportunity as it can reduce irreversible tissue injury and improve functional outcomes. However, currently available treatments within the acute window are highly limited and have strict patient selection criteria. Although emerging neuromodulation techniques have been proposed as a treatment for chronic stroke, acute stimulation is rarely studied due to concerns about exacerbating ischemia-induced electrical instability. Here, we demonstrate that acute cortical electrical stimulation, administered one hour post-stroke, provides neuroprotection in non-human primate brains. Using advanced electrophysiology and histology tools, we found that applying continuous theta burst electrical stimulation directly adjacent to the ischemic lesion significantly reduced neural activity in the surrounding tissue, as evidenced by lower electrocorticography signal power and c-Fos expression. This reduced depolarization was accompanied by decreases in neuroinflammation and infarct volume in the sensorimotor cortex. These findings suggest that acute electrical stimulation may serve as a safe and effective early intervention, offering a promising therapeutic strategy to improve outcomes in ischemic stroke.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61948-y
spellingShingle Jasmine Zhou
Karam Khateeb
Azadeh Yazdan-Shahmorad
Early intervention with electrical stimulation reduces neural damage after stroke in non-human primates
Nature Communications
title Early intervention with electrical stimulation reduces neural damage after stroke in non-human primates
title_full Early intervention with electrical stimulation reduces neural damage after stroke in non-human primates
title_fullStr Early intervention with electrical stimulation reduces neural damage after stroke in non-human primates
title_full_unstemmed Early intervention with electrical stimulation reduces neural damage after stroke in non-human primates
title_short Early intervention with electrical stimulation reduces neural damage after stroke in non-human primates
title_sort early intervention with electrical stimulation reduces neural damage after stroke in non human primates
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61948-y
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AT azadehyazdanshahmorad earlyinterventionwithelectricalstimulationreducesneuraldamageafterstrokeinnonhumanprimates