Project works on restoring speech for stroke patients

Alexander Leonessa, a Virginia Tech College of Engineering researcher, wants to help restore the voice of stroke patients and others who have suffered paralysis of the vocal folds through electrical stimulation.

Leonessa is developing a small device that could use functional electrical stimulation on the paralysed vocal folds of stroke patients or others who have lost the ability to talk, or swallow and breathe properly.

‘The device has the potential of improving the quality of life for patients with vocal paralysis, or neuromuscular disabilities, including traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s disease,’ he said.

Electrical stimulation on muscles is regularly used on legs and arms to prevent muscle atrophy. If the brain can no longer send electrical impulses to move a limb, the muscles and nerves can die off from disuse.

Doctors use an external electrical appendage placed on the exterior skin to provide a small electrical shock that can cause the muscle to contract. The practice exercises the muscles and can save the leg or arm.