Stroke remains a remarkable contributor to death and disability. Comprehensively, stroke is the second-leading cause of death and the third-leading cause of death and disability combined.
As per neurology experts at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), aphasia, or the loss of language function, can be caused by brain damage due to stroke in 21–38 percent of acute stroke patients.
They said that early and timely speech and language rehabilitation can aid in a better recovery. Music therapy has been shown to elevate verbal fluency in various parts of the world.
As per experts opinion, India is lacking in adapting similar strategies. So to overcome this gap, the Department of Neurology, AIIMS, New Delhi, collaborates with IIT-New Delhi. This collaboration is conducting a study on the customization and adaptation of the treatment strategies that such patients need for the recovery of their global speech and language functions.
As a part of an ICMR-funded study, this will be provided free of charge to the patients.
Meanwhile, stroke, which is a highly preventable and treatable condition, poses a significant threat, potentially causing nearly 10 million deaths annually by 2050, particularly impacting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
This projection stems from the collaborative effort of the World Stroke Organization and the Lancet Neurology Commission, under which four studies have been published. Four research papers accentuating pragmatic recommendations to reduce stroke burden globally have been published under this Commission. This report was issued in the esteemed Lancet Neurology journal.
The report emphasizes that stroke deaths are expected to surge from 6.6 million in 2020 to a daunting 9.7 million by 2050. It is estimated that the contribution of stroke deaths in LMICs will increase from 86 percent to 91 percent by 2050.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Komal Bhoi/MSM)
