Stroke & Paralysis and IPT

Dr. Paquette, in his book Medicine of Hope, has a section on neurological diseases. He presents three cases of reversal of paralysis due to stroke. These cases deserve summary here:

Neurological Case #2: Male, age 36. Left hemiplegia (paralysis of the left half of the body) following a cerebral hemorrhage. After almost two years of physiotherapy, his left leg dragged while walking a maximum of 15 to 20 minutes, and his left arm was inert, with a spastic hand. The day after his first IPT treatment, he was walking normally, pacing around the waiting room. To quote Dr. Paquette:

" 'Doctor', he says shaking my hand, with tears in his eyes, ' you do not know how good it is to be able to walk, to feel my foot touching the floor. I walk for the pleasure of walking'. I was so moved, that I spun around back so that no one could see me crying.... Only one case like this one, and it boosts up your morale for months! Before the end of the five treatments, which he received at that time, this patient walked for four to five hours without fatigue. Moreover, without help from his right hand, he was raising his left arm completely in the air, though in jerky moves and when he made a fist, his fingers relaxed by themselves without help."

The patient continued to improve, and returned to work.

Neurological Case #6: Male, age 75. Left hemiplegia following a cerebral hemorrhage. The patient arrived for the first IPT treatment with left arm and leg completely inert.

Less than two hours after the first treatment, the patient was able to raise and fold his left arm, and was able to raise his left leg and move it side to side. 48 hours after the treatment, he had much more mobility.

Neurological Case #9: Male, age 62. Left hemiplegia and left facial paralysis, with cyanosis (bluish color from poor circulation) of the left arm.

Some leg movement and better left arm circulation the day after the first IPT treatment. The second day, he can walk without a cane, and can raise his left arm to shoulder level. The fifth day he can bend his left fingers. The sixth day he can climb into a jeep unaided, grasp small objects, and raise his arm (with 80 percent less cyanosis) to eye level.

These cases remind me of the rapid improvement observed in children with paralysis of polio who were treated with IPT by Drs. Perez Garcia 1 and 2 in the 1950s

What can explain the sudden improvement in all these cases? Perhaps there is some improvement of circulation. Perhaps there is some detoxification of brain tissues. But it certainly sounds to me like (dare I say the supposedly impossible?) rapid brain regeneration.

We will not know until laboratory research is done, and tissue slides can be examined before and after IPT. But in the mean time, a cursory search of Medline shows me that insulin plays many roles in central nervous system (CNS) tissue. Insulin and IGF-1 (with which it cross-reacts) stimulate differentiation and maturation of neuronal stem cells, and increase the number of neurons that form from them (J Neurosci Res 2000 Feb;59(3):332-341). IGF-1 (and therefore insulin, I assume) is a known potent stimulator of myelination, reduces brain cell death, and promotes proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocytes in the brain (Endocrinology 1999 Jul;140(7):3063-72). And there are strong indications that insulin stimulates growth of neurons, and is involved in maintaining many cognitive functions (Science 280(5363):517-519).

These are just hints, a first glance. More literature and laboratory research is needed, with the reported results of IPT in mind.

Possibilities:

If IPT works so well long after a cerebral accident, perhaps it would also work well at the earliest stage, when the patient is taken to the hospital. Perhaps the IPT will help increase circulation to the affected area, will increase cell membrane and blood-brain barrier permeability so oxygen and nutrients can reach the ischemic cells, and toxins can be removed. Any swelling and inflammation may be reduced. And immune and repair cells and neuronal growth and myelination may be stimulated to heal the area. More research, more research...

IPT may actually help prevent stroke by balancing blood chemistry, improving circulation, and stimulating blood vessel growth and repair. More research is needed.