{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/699bda7a68ec8626d2fd3b5f/69a9e1ea7036d73902bf1921?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"A Stroke of Fortune","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/699bda7a68ec8626d2fd3b5f/1772927830607-5aef27c8-21cb-4114-97b9-693513ecf415.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>Seema Mathur sits down with Dr. S. Thomas Carmichael—neuroscientist, neurologist and Chair of Neurology at UCLA—to explore a question that could change stroke recovery: <strong>What if a pill could help repair the brain?</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability, and even with intense therapy, many people never fully regain movement—especially in the arm and hand. Dr. Carmichael explains <strong>neuroplasticity</strong> and the brain’s “sensitive period” after stroke, when the brain is most open to rewiring. He then shares the science behind a surprising target: a receptor called <strong>CCR5</strong>, which becomes highly active after stroke and can <em>lock down</em> the brain’s ability to form new connections. His team is studying whether blocking CCR5—using a drug originally developed for <strong>HIV</strong>—could help “reopen” plasticity and strengthen recovery.</p><p><br></p><p>Seema also reflects on her own experience with neuroplasticity and what it means to fight your way back—one repetition at a time.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><ul><li>Why stroke recovery is often limited—even with rehab</li><li>What neuroplasticity really is (and what it isn’t)</li><li>The brain’s post-stroke “sensitive period” and the window of opportunity</li><li>CCR5: the molecule that may limit recovery by locking down connections</li><li>Why an FDA-approved HIV drug is now in clinical trial for stroke rehabilitation</li><li>What researchers hope to improve most: meaningful arm and hand function</li><li>If the treatment could be extended to multiple variations of traumatic brain injury</li></ul>","author_name":"Seema Mathur"}