So should
we be tickling our own whiskers? And what about women, who are
less likely to have facial hair? While its too soon to tell
if the findings will translate to humans, researchers say its
possible, and stubble is not required. We have sensitive body
parts wired to the same area of the brain as rodents fine-tuned
whiskers.
"In people,
stimulating the fingers, lips or face in general could all have
a similar effect," says UCI doctoral student Melissa Davis,
co-author of the study, which appears in the June issue of PLoS
One.
"It's gender-neutral,"
adds co-author Ron Frostig, professor of neurobiology & behavior.
He cautions
that the research, funded by the National Institutes of Health,
is a first step, albeit an important one. "This is just the
beginning of the whole story," he says, "with the potential
for maybe doing things before a victim even reaches the emergency
room."
A stroke
usually happens when a main artery bringing oxygen and nutrients
to the brain either ruptures or is blocked by a clot, causing
partial brain death. The key to preventing strokes in rats whose
main cerebral artery has been obstructed, UCI researchers found,
is to stimulate the blood-starved brain area.
The team
discovered that mechanically stroking just one whisker for four
minutes within the first two hours of the blockage caused the
blood to quickly flow to other arteries -- like cars exiting
a gridlocked freeway to find detours.
But unlike
freeway off-ramps, which can quickly clog, the alternate arteries
expanded beyond their normal size, opening wide to allow critical
blood flow to the brain. The technique was 100 percent effective
in preventing strokes in rats with arterial obstruction.
UC San Diego
neuroscientist David Kleinfeld, who has also studied brain structure
and strokes, calls the results “unexpected and spectacular.”
Random stimulation of the rat whisker also worked, but timing
was critical – waiting three hours to do so led to major brain
cell death.
Scientists
have struggled for years to find ways of preventing strokes
or minimizing their effects, which include slurred speech, paralysis
and brain damage. One drug can help some patients but also often
causes bleeding in the brain.
People believed
to be suffering a stroke are currently told to lie still and
stay calm in a quiet environment. Frostig says a good massage,
listening to a song or otherwise stimulating the right nerve
endings might work better.
Kleinfeld
cautions that the rodent findings might not be relevant to humans.
But with such clear evidence that strokes in rats were prevented,
he says, "it would be criminal not to try" controlled human
studies. That could be tricky, since it's not possible to predict
when someone will have a stroke.
The UCI
team which also includes graduate students Christopher Lay
and Cynthia Chen-Bee would like to find physicians or emergency
medical technicians willing to try the technique on patients
with early stroke symptoms.
Signs of
stroke include:
- Sudden
numbness or weakness in face or limbs, especially on one side.
- Sudden
confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
- Sudden
difficulty seeing or walking.
- Dizziness
or loss of balance or coordination.
- Sudden,
severe headache with no known cause.
If you or
someone you know experiences one or more of these symptoms,
call 911. The first two hours are critical.
About
the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI
is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship
and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since
2005, UCI is among the most dynamic campuses in the University
of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate
students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange Countys largest
employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.9
billion. For more UCI news, visit http://today.uci.edu/index.php .
