About 80% of patients who had acute stroke suffer from certain kinds of upper limb motor damage. Among them, more than half present with persistent upper limb impairment even after 6 months, leading to a lower quality-of-life and diminished wellbeing.1 Given the dynamic nature of impairment as recovery proceeds and the presence of multiple simultaneous impairments possibly, treatment planning for upper limb disability remains difficult with limited treatment options available.1,2 Recently, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has emerged as a promising technique to enhance the reorganization potential of the brain following stroke. In light of this, a randomized, triple-blinded, sham-controlled trial was conducted to test the potential of VNS combined with rehabilitation in improving upper limb mobility in stroke patients.1 Upon review, the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted one-of-its-kind approval to VNS system as the novel treatment of moderate to severe upper extremity motor deficits associated with chronic ischemic stroke.3
