A new study has found that injecting the popular wrinkle relaxer BOTOX® Cosmetic into the arm muscles of stroke patients who experience severe spasticity may improve long term recovery. Researchers at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) found that these BOTOX® Cosmetic injections not only improved the condition of arm muscles, but also impacted the area of the brain responsible for movement, learning, memory, and thinking. It is not entirely certain why BOTOX®Cosmetic has this effect on the brain. Dr. William Huynh, the lead author of the NeuRA study, suggests two possibilities:
- The toxin in BOTOX® Cosmetic travels directly to your central nervous system
- Arm muscles are sending different signals back to the brain after the BOTOX® Cosmetic injections
Regardless of the reason, it appears that the use of BOTOX® Cosmetic with stroke patients provides the dual benefit of improving muscle disorders and normalizing brain activity in the half of the brain that was not affected by the stroke. According to Dr. Huynh, this second benefit is particularly important because abnormal information sent to the brain from muscles impacted by the stroke may be impeding the long term recovery process. While more research is likely needed to determine the extent of these benefits, it appears that there may be yet another use for BOTOX® Cosmetic beyond the traditional goal of improving the appearance of fine lines and facial wrinkles. If you are interested in seeing if BOTOX®Cosmetic can help you reverse the signs of aging, please contact Dr. David Bottger today to schedule your initial consultation. We serve patients in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.