Jennifer Matthews: A year after June Wallace had a stroke; she's re-learning to use her right hand.
June Wallace: The arm had no use at all. It was completely limp and didn't function.
Jennifer Matthews: When June heard about a clinical trial that might get her arm moving again, she signed on, even though it involved surgery.
Dr. Helmi Lutsep: I think of it as jump starting the brain.
Dr. Kim Burchiel: The brain can change, even when you're older, and it can make new connections.
Jennifer Matthews: Surgeons placed an electrode like this on coverings of June's brain which lie on the cortex. They ran a guide wire under her skin. At the start of each therapy session, the wire is hooked to this battery pack.
Dr. Helmi Lutsep: The hope is that were teaching the brain new pathways, new way of taking over tasks that it wasn't able to do because it lost capability because of the stroke.
Jennifer Matthews: June has therapy every day for three weeks. In the beginning, she dropped these pegs. On her last day of therapy, she easily turns them over.
June Wallace: It's given me the ability to turn my hand better, move my hand bigger, grasp things easier.
Jennifer Matthews: Doctors still don't know if June would have made as much progress without the electrode.
Dr. Helmi Lutsep: To see that kind of recovery that we saw that quickly, that she wasn't able to do before. That gives us hope.
Jennifer Matthews: Whatever it is, something's working. If June had dropped a tissue three weeks ago, she would have had to use her left hand to pick it up. This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
Jennifer Matthews: A year after June Wallace had a stroke; she's re-learning to use her right hand.
June Wallace: The arm had no use at all. It was completely limp and didn't function.
Jennifer Matthews: When June heard about a clinical trial that might get her arm moving again, she signed on, even though it involved surgery.
Dr. Helmi Lutsep: I think of it as jump starting the brain.
Dr. Kim Burchiel: The brain can change, even when you're older, and it can make new connections.
Jennifer Matthews: Surgeons placed an electrode like this on coverings of June's brain which lie on the cortex. They ran a guide wire under her skin. At the start of each therapy session, the wire is hooked to this battery pack.
Dr. Helmi Lutsep: The hope is that were teaching the brain new pathways, new way of taking over tasks that it wasn't able to do because it lost capability because of the stroke.
Jennifer Matthews: June has therapy every day for three weeks. In the beginning, she dropped these pegs. On her last day of therapy, she easily turns them over.
June Wallace: It's given me the ability to turn my hand better, move my hand bigger, grasp things easier.
Jennifer Matthews: Doctors still don't know if June would have made as much progress without the electrode.
Dr. Helmi Lutsep: To see that kind of recovery that we saw that quickly, that she wasn't able to do before. That gives us hope.
Jennifer Matthews: Whatever it is, something's working. If June had dropped a tissue three weeks ago, she would have had to use her left hand to pick it up. This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
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