MILWAUKEE — Two big schools are teaming up to help stroke survivors have stronger recoveries. Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin have been awarded $3.2 million over five years to study muscle fatigue in stroke survivors.
"This research could benefit people in Wisconsin living with chronic stroke who have difficulty walking or with leg function," said Dr. Allison Hyngstrom, chair and professor of physical therapy at Marquette’s College of Health Sciences.
Hyngstrom joined Dr. Matt Durand, associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at MCW, to talk about the grant money from the National Institutes of Health. The two have collaborated in the past on previous research projects,
"I would say it's very unique," said Durand. "We decided to put our heads together and really try to tackle this very complex problem of muscle weakness and fatigue in stroke survivors by really drawing from both of our backgrounds and looking at this problem from a unique perspective."
The research will lean into stroke survivors in the Milwaukee area. Participants are welcome and can sign up for the study.
They are looking for people who have had a stroke as recently as six months ago. Stroke is the 5th leading cause of death in Wisconsin.
Both are optimistic about the research project.
"I wish I could 100% guarantee the results but based on all the pilot data and the years of work that we've done together, I'm confident that we will be able to show a benefit and contribute to optimizing motor recovery post-stroke," said Hyngstrom.
Email Jennifer Nguyen if you are interested in participating in the study: jnguyen@mcw.edu
