Stroking whiskers prevents strokes from blocked arteries

We know from heart rate variability analysis that activating the brain with skillful peripheral sensory nervous stimulation can exert deeply beneficial effects by increasing parasympathetic nervous system function. A paper just published in PLoS One (Public Library of Science) offers striking evidence of the power of this type of intervention.

"Despite progress in reducing ischemic stroke damage, complete protection remains elusive. Here we demonstrate that, after permanent occlusion of a major cortical artery (middle cerebral artery; MCA), single whisker stimulation can induce complete protection of the adult rat cortex..."

This is an amazing demonstration. In order to protect the brain from a stroke caused by permanent blockage of a major artery there has to be a rapid reperfusion of the area deprived of blood and oxygen. The authors proved with blood flow imaging and other techniques that by stroking a single whisker (if done soon enough,...

"Animals that receive early treatment are histologically [cellular anatomy] and behaviorally equivalent to healthy controls and have normal neuronal function."

Stroking induced sufficient opening of collateral vessels to provide an alternative arterial source, enough for reperfusion even though the middle cerebral artery was still blocked. The authors' conclusion is a fascinating insight into the therapeutic potential of sensory based peripheral stimulation therapies (chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, etc.) to elicit profound improvements in autonomic regulatory function:

"These findings suggest that the cortex is capable of extensive blood flow reorganization and more importantly that mild sensory stimulation can provide complete protection from impending stroke given early intervention. Such non-invasive, non-pharmacological intervention has clear translational potential."

This research is consonant with my clinical experience in using sensory based peripheral therapies as a regulating stimulus for both acute and chronic conditions.