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For stroke survivors, recovery doesn’t end when they leave the hospital. Recognising the variation in post-hospital care, the NHS is currently running a number of pilot programmes across the country to develop new models of community-based rehab. These innovative approaches focus on integrated, high-intensity and personalised support right in people’s own homes. Here is a look at how three pilot sites are leading the way:

Northamptonshire: Fostering independence and vocational success

In Northamptonshire, the pilot programme is built on the principle of seamless, coordinated care. A multi-disciplinary team provides an integrated approach, delivering intensive rehab in the patient’s home. The programme includes specialist support to help stroke survivors return to work, with OTs and other specialists working with employers and patients to facilitate a successful return to the workplace or explore alternative roles if necessary. Services are delivered quickly, with therapeutic care beginning within 24 hours of hospital discharge. This pilot also addresses the patient’s wider needs, including psychological well-being, providing resources such as a patient forum, online communities and face-to-face support groups. Furthermore, a ‘self-directed rehab pathway’ trains staff to deliver conversational coaching, equipping patients with the skills for ongoing self-management.

North Central London: A dynamic, roving support network

The North Central London pilot takes a mobile and flexible approach to support stroke survivors. It uses a dynamic, roving team of rehab assistants who work under the guidance of senior staff. This model has a number of features that provide tailored, holistic care. The team works to help patients get home as quickly as possible and ensures their living environment is optimised for successful rehab. Assistants provide flexible, in-home therapy that is designed to provide an extended and intensive rehab experience. The team also provides advocacy and support, recognising the wider impact of stroke on both the patient and their loved ones.

Northumbria: Prioritising psychological well-being

The Northumbria pilot site is addressing a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of stroke recovery: psychological well-being. The programme focuses on ensuring mental health receives the same priority as physical recovery, offering a number of services to achieve this. A senior clinical psychologist has been employed to oversee the service, providing expert support for survivors’ psychological needs. The pilot offers enhanced peer support to both patients and their families and carers, which provides a crucial network for sharing experiences and offering mutual encouragement. Northumbria is also extending and expanding its Early Supported Discharge services, allowing more patients to receive intensive rehab in the comfort of their own homes.

Each of these pilot sites offers a unique and valuable perspective on how to improve community-based stroke rehab. While the approaches differ, they share a commitment to more intensive, integrated, and out-of-hospital care. The robust evaluation of these programmes will provide crucial evidence to inform the future development of national stroke services, helping to improve outcomes and quality of life for UK stroke survivors.

The integration of Neuromersiv’s ‘Ulysses’ system represents a significant advancement in the tech-for-stroke space, offering a dedicated VR solution for upper-limb. The system’s design and therapeutic approach align with core neuroscientific principles, particularly concerning task-specific training, repetition, and motivation…

The Neuromersiv ‘Ulysses’ system is designed to be used by stroke survivors in a structured, repetitive, and highly engaging manner, ideally with guidance from a trained clinician. The therapy focuses on functional tasks in a virtual environment to promote neuroplasticity.

The process begins with a therapist assessing your specific needs and upper limb impairment. This determines the appropriate rehabilitation goals and how the system will be integrated into your overall therapy plan.

You then put on a wireless VR headset, such as a Meta Quest 2. The system uses the headset’s built-in hand-tracking technology, which means you don’t need to hold bulky controllers. Then, a virtual assistant within the software guides you through every step, making the process accessible even for users with no prior VR experience.

The core of the therapy involves engaging in simulated ADLs within a realistic virtual environment. The tasks are designed to be challenging but fairly fun, like washing dishes, sorting cutlery, and organizing cupboards and engaging in personal care activities. The tasks are all gamified with reward systems that encourage you to keep going and achieve your goals, providing a motivational boost that is often lacking in traditional therapy.

The system can track your movements in real-time and some users can also incorporate haptic gloves, to provide sensory feedback and assist with muscle activation. For survivors with more severe impairment, the system can be combined with a sleeve containing FES electrodes. The FES helps activate and strengthen muscles you can’t move voluntarily. For example, if you’re trying to grasp a virtual object but can’t, the FES can assist the movement, creating a feedback loop that helps the brain form new neural pathways.

The therapist can use a web-based dashboard to track your progress over sessions, which allows them to monitor your performance and adjust the therapy plan to best suit your needs. The system also allows clinicians to livestream your virtual reality experience to a phone or tablet. This enables them to provide remote assistance and guidance during home-based therapy sessions. Sessions are typically repetitive and intensive to maximise their effect on plasticity. For example, a pilot study used 25 sessions of 45 minutes over several weeks. If you’re interested in using the Ulysses system, the best first step would be to talk to your OT or physiotherapist. They can help determine if this technology is suitable for your specific needs and rehabilitation goals.

The Ulysses system is now commercially available in both Australia and the UK, following registration as a Class 1 software medical device with the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Neuromersiv has adopted a multi-tiered commercialisation strategy, focusing primarily on institutional sales to rehabilitation clinics and hospitals. This approach facilitates broader access through established healthcare providers, leveraging clinical oversight and integration into existing therapy programs.

Neuromersiv also offers access directly to individual end-users (B2C), a development with significant implications for home-based neurorehabilitation. The company’s co-founders have indicated a commitment to affordability, offering flexible monthly leasing options alongside direct purchase to make the system more accessible. However, specific, publicly listed costs for individual purchase or leasing are not readily available online and require direct contact with the company for a quote. This pricing model requires stroke survivors and caregivers to actively engage with the company to understand the financial implications for home-based use.

A team from the University of Zurich and the University of Southern California has just successfully demonstrated (in mice) that stem cell transplantation can reverse stroke damage, paving the way for a future where brain repair is no longer the stuff of science fiction. This pioneering work offers a powerful glimmer of hope for the millions of survivors who live with persistent limitations after stroke.

For years the medical community has held that brain damage caused by stroke is largely irreversible. The internal bleeding or lack of oxygen that occurs during a stroke kills brain cells, leading to lasting effects like paralysis, speech impairment and other neurological deficits. Current treatments are focused on damage limitation in the immediate aftermath of a stroke, and no therapies exist to fully repair the damage that has been done. This groundbreaking study fundamentally challenges that paradigm.

In the study, which was published in Nature Communications, researchers transplanted human neural stem cells into the brains of mice that had experienced a stroke. These stem cells, which have the remarkable ability to develop into various cell types of the nervous system, were successfully integrated into the damaged brain tissue. Over a five-week period the team observed extraordinary results. The grafted cells not only survived and matured into functioning neurons but also stimulated the growth of new blood vessels, reduced inflammation and strengthened the blood-brain barrier.

The most striking outcome however, was the functional recovery observed in the mice. Using an AI-assisted gait analysis to meticulously track the animals’ movements, the researchers confirmed that the treated mice regained motor abilities that were previously lost. This was particularly evident in tasks that required fine motor skills, demonstrating that the stem cell therapy had a tangible, real-world effect on recovery.

This research, while conducted only in a mouse model, holds profound implications for human stroke treatment. The investigators were able to confirm that the therapy was most effective when administered one week after a stroke… a timeline that would be practical for clinical use in humans. While further work is needed to ensure safety, including a mechanism to prevent uncontrolled cell growth, this breakthrough probably represents a leap forward in regenerative medicine. As ongoing clinical trials explore similar stem cell applications for other neurological diseases like Parkinson’s, the possibility of a human stroke trial draws ever closer. This leading-edge research from the University of Zurich offers genuine hope that one day the devastating effects of a stroke could be reversed, ushering in a new era of brain repair and recovery.

For decades, aspirin has been the cornerstone of antiplatelet therapy for preventing heart attacks and strokes. However, recent research is challenging this long-held standard, suggesting that clopidogrel, a potent alternative, may offer superior protection for certain patients with cardiovascular disease, and importantly, without increasing the risk of major bleeding events. Btw, this isn’t about discarding a tried-and-tested medication but about evolving clinical practice with new evidence to provide better, more tailored care. The findings have the potential to influence global guidelines and improve outcomes for millions of patients.

A large-scale meta-analysis, presented at the 2025 European Society of Cardiology congress, combined data from seven randomised trials involving nearly 30,000 participants with coronary artery disease (CAD). The findings were compelling: over an average of five and a half years, patients on clopidogrel experienced significantly fewer heart attacks and strokes compared to those taking aspirin. The researchers concluded that clopidogrel should be the preferred long-term antiplatelet treatment for this patient group.

One of the most striking results from this analysis was that the rate of major bleeding was similar between the clopidogrel and aspirin groups, despite clopidogrel’s more potent antiplatelet effect. This counters previous concerns that a stronger antiplatelet medication would automatically carry a higher bleeding risk during long-term use.

While the exact reasons for clopidogrel’s enhanced protective effect are still under investigation, researchers speculate that it may involve more than just its anticlotting properties. The drug is known to have a weak beneficial effect on inflammation; so given that inflammation plays a key role in the development and progression of coronary artery disease, this anti-inflammatory action could contribute to its superior long-term benefits.

It’s important to stress that patients should never change their medication without consulting their doctor. Aspirin remains a standard and effective treatment for many and it is also widely available over the counter. P2Y12 inhibitors like clopidogrel on the other hand, require a prescription.

However, this new evidence empowers both doctors and patients to have a more informed discussion about long-term antiplatelet therapy. For individuals with coronary artery disease, particularly those at higher risk or with a history of procedures like stenting, considering clopidogrel monotherapy over aspirin may now be a more evidence-based decision.

ARNI Stroke Rehab says that this research provides strong evidence that an alternative to aspirin might be more effective at preventing recurrent heart attack or stroke without increasing major bleeding risk, which will likely influence prescription practices worldwide.

The takeaway for survivors is that if you’ve been on clopidogrel, the data is encouraging. If you’re currently on aspirin, there’s no need to panic, but it may be worth scheduling a discussion with your cardiologist (if you have one) to see if an alternative might better suit your long-term risk profile.

A new device called Neubond, a wearable technology for stroke rehab from a spin-off company formed at Imperial College is now in research & testing phase. Neubond is a closed-loop system built on a technology called Volition-Induced Paired Associative Stimulation (VIPAS). PAS differs from FES as FES is an open-loop system.

The lightweight, comfortable bracelet is equipped with tiny sensors that can detect the very subtle electrical signals your brain sends when you try to move your affected limb, even if you can’t see or feel the movement yet. At the precise moment your brain is sending that command, Neubond delivers a gentle electrical stimulation to the corresponding muscle. This reinforces the neural pathway and helps your brain re-learn. By repeatedly pairing your intention to move with the actual movement, the device essentially helps to rewire your brain, promoting plasticity and strengthening that vital brain-to-muscle connection over time.

Neubond is a discreet, comfortable wearable, therapy can happen anytime, anywhere. The user is no longer limited to short clinical sessions… this continuous, everyday practice is key to maximising ones recovery potential.

Linked to a mobile app, Neubond tracks your muscle activity and provides data-driven insights for both you and your clinicians. This makes progress visible and motivating, turning small gains into big milestones. Users in trials have reported regaining the ability to do small but incredibly significant things, like handwriting or even cuddling a grandchild. These personal victories ignite hope and show that meaningful recovery is possible.

Neubond is an exciting step forward in making neurorehab more accessible, effective, and human. The wearable is still in the testing and development phase and is not currently available for stroke survivors to purchase but as of recent reports, Neubond is working to turn its prototype into a production-ready device and conducting clinical testing to prepare for randomised clinical trials. The company plans to first release a version of the device that monitors movement intention and guides rehabilitation by providing visual feedback to the user. This version will require a less demanding regulatory process than the full therapeutic device.

Their website holds a waiting list for early access to pilot and beta testing, which you can join if you are interested in potentially participating in future trials.

The new 70-bed National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) has been built near Loughborough (it’s in its ‘inside-fittings’ stage now) and is set to begin accepting its first patients in 2026.

It’s an NHS facility run by Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, which will offer a significantly more intensive model of care to patients in the East Midlands than is typically available; it’s going to be staffed and run by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the idea is that it will serve as a template for other sites. While the standard NHS offering might be around 30 to 40 minutes of therapy a day, the NRC will provide up to three to four hours of rehabilitation daily.

The NRC will share facilities with the adjacent Stanford Hall Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC). This includes a Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN), a high-tech virtual reality system to help patients relearn movement and a state-of-the-art gait lab.

The NRC is part of the government’s New Hospital Programme and is being built by the joint venture Integrated Health Partners (IHP), which includes VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine, and will be run by the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. While taxpayer funds support the NRC through the government’s New Hospital Programme to the tune of £105 million, the construction is handled by the private sector and the centre collaborates with the University of Nottingham and Loughborough University for research, training, and education alongside clinical care.

Another aspect of the NRC will be its seamless integration of clinical care, research, innovation, and training. By partnering with leading academic institutions like Loughborough and Nottingham universities, the centre aims to accelerate the translation of new research into frontline patient care. For stroke survivors, this means they could be among the first to benefit from the latest innovations in rehabilitation therapy.

Arm and hand weakness is a debilitating and common consequence for a large number of stroke survivors and ARNI recognises that conventional rehab often struggles to provide the necessary intensity and engagement required to maximise the brain’s neuroplasticity.

To address this problem, a team of researchers at Queen’s University Belfast’s School of Psychology, led by neuroscientist Dr. Kathy Ruddy, is conducting a new clinical trial that combines Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology with computer gaming to stimulate arm movement and function. This one-year project, funded by Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke (NICHS), represents a novel and potentially game-changing approach to stroke recovery.

The Queen’s University trial centres on the concept of motor imagery; research has shown that merely thinking about a movement activates the same neural pathways in the motor cortex as physically performing the action.

In the QUB trial, participants wear a simple, non-invasive BCI headset that reads their brain activity. As the stroke survivor imagines moving their affected arm, the headset detects the corresponding brain signals and these signals are then translated to control a computer game, creating a powerful biofeedback loop. This technique serves to reinforce neural pathways by repeatedly activating the motor cortex through imagined movement, allowing people with significant motor impairment to still ‘practice’ moving their arm… thereby strengthening spared neural connections/preventing from becoming dormant due to lack of use.

The trial aims to recruit 50 stroke survivors from Northern Ireland to test the efficacy of this BCI-gaming system; please contact the Queen’s University research team directly if this is of interest to you. The QUB website has a news page with contact information for the School of Psychology and research staff.

New research just presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress reveals a worrying link between air pollution and an increased risk of stroke for millions of us in the country.

A decade-long study of nearly 300,000 people found that those living in the most polluted areas of the UK were 7% more likely to suffer a stroke compared to those in areas with cleaner air. The same study also found an increased risk of heart failure. The team assessed the air pollution exposure of more than 318,000 people living in the UK. This was based on air pollution monitoring carried out by separate researchers between January 2010 and 2011 within 100 square metres of the participants’ homes.

The participants, aged 40 to 69 at the start of the research, were taking part in the UK Biobank study. They had no history of a stroke or mini-stroke, defined as a temporary disruption to the brain’s blood supply, ischemic heart disease – cardiovascular complications caused by narrowing of the heart’s arteries, or cancer. This is a stark reminder that the air we breathe has a profound effect on our health, particularly our cardiovascular system. The fine particulate matter PM2.5 (which measures less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter,) comes from vehicle exhaust and other sources.  It can enter the bloodstream and cause inflammation and blood vessel damage, increasing the risk of cardiovascular events.

Over an average 12-year follow-up period, 5967 of the participants had a stroke, 2985 developed cardiovascular disease and 1020 people died due to any cause. After accounting for other factors that can influence stroke risk, such as physical fitness levels, the researchers found that every 5 microgram per cubic metre (µg/m3) increase in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that the participants were exposed to across a year was linked to a 24 per cent rise in their risk of a stroke.

The British Heart Foundation and other organisations are calling for stricter air quality targets; let’s work together for cleaner air and reduction in strokes!

For stroke survivors worldwide, persistent upper limb impairment is a significant and often devastating consequence. While intensive, repetitive therapy is crucial for activating neuroplasticity and improving motor function, access to high-intensity, round-the-clock rehab is often unfeasible in traditional clinical settings. We know that this gap between formal therapy and the need for continual muscle engagement can lead to suboptimal recovery, particularly for those with moderate-to-severe impairment.

Addressing this challenge, KnitRegen, a UK-based MedTech startup, is developing a novel wearable smart textile system designed to facilitate constant, functional rehabilitation. Founded as a spin-out from the Royal College of Art, KnitRegen leverages a unique combination of technical textile design, neuroscience, and material science. In collab with researchers and organisations like the University of Central Lancashire and the Centre for Process Innovation, the company has developed a prototype wristband device, dubbed the ‘PowerBead’. This device delivers targeted muscle stimulation through integrated smart textile components, moving the technology from a bulky, backpack-sized system to a discreet, user-friendly wearable. The innovation is based on evidence that delivering specific, timed muscle stimulation can improve strength and mobility, especially when paired with an auditory cue.

The KnitRegen system aims to provide continual muscle stimulation outside of supervised therapy sessions, a critical factor for driving neuroplasticity. The mechanism is thought to involve stimulating the recruitment of the reticulospinal tract (RST), offering a potential pathway for recovery for survivors with severe damage to the corticospinal tract (CST). By enabling consistent muscle stimulation, the device increases the total amount of therapeutic engagement, which is linked to improved recovery outcomes, particularly for survivors with moderate-to-severe upper limb impairments (a patient group that often has limited treatment options).

The embedded smart textile components provide state-of-the-art muscle stimulation, specifically activating muscles in the hand and arms to restore movement and strength. Developed in co-design with stroke survivors, the wristband is designed for comfort and ease of use, addressing a common usability challenge with existing functional electrical stimulation (FES) systems. It’s also designed to be discreet, resembling a normal accessory rather than an obvious medical device.

Initial studies involving 16 stroke survivors have shown that the PowerBead can effectively activate hand and arm muscles. Further pilot studies on healthy volunteers have been conducted to optimise the wearable’s comfort and effectiveness. The company plans to conduct longer-term trials to measure the device’s effect on strength and movement over time and is working towards gaining regulatory approval. KnitRegen’s data collection could also contribute valuable information on continual rehabilitation methods for other Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the future.

The KnitRegen smart textile system represents a significant step forward in making intensive, evidence-based rehab accessible for stroke survivors at home but like the VTS Glove below, it’s not on the market yet. The PowerBead is still undergoing further development and clinical testing, but it seems to offer a potential breakthrough for millions of stroke survivors worldwide who are seeking to regain movement and independence…

For many stroke survivors, regaining hand and arm function after experiencing post-stroke spasticity can be an incredibly difficult and frustrating journey. Traditional treatments like Botox injections or oral medications can offer temporary relief, but often come with side effects and inconvenience. But what if a new, non-invasive wearable technology could offer relief and promote lasting recovery?

Meet the VTS Glove. This wireless, glove-like device uses high-frequency vibrations to provide targeted therapeutic tactile stimulation to the hand and fingers. It is designed for daily, at-home use, allowing survivors to incorporate rehabilitation into their daily lives for approximately three hours a day.

A study recently published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation found that daily use of the VTS Glove led to significant reductions in spasticity (involuntary muscle stiffness) and hypertonia (excessive muscle tone) in the hands of chronic stroke survivors. In the study, over half of the participants who regularly used Botox injections for spasticity found the VTS Glove to be as effective or even more effective in reducing their symptoms. The study found that positive changes persisted even one month after participants stopped wearing the glove, suggesting a potential for long-term retraining effects. Some participants also experienced improved voluntary finger extension and restored tactile sensation.

By reducing spasticity, the device can empower survivors to regain greater control and use of their affected hand. A patient at the University of Southampton, who was unable to move his hand for eight years after his stroke, was able to move it again with the help of a similar device, calling the experience ‘breathtaking.’ Since it can be used at home, the glove offers a more accessible and less disruptive therapy option compared to frequent clinic visits for injections or other treatments. Some participants in clinical trials reported voluntarily reducing or stopping their oral muscle relaxants or Botox injections, relying instead on the VTS Glove for symptom relief.

While the current research is very promising, more studies are planned to further explore the long-term effectiveness and optimal design of the device. For now, it represents a hopeful new frontier for stroke survivors and their caregivers.