Lucy Mulloor, a vibrant 45-year-old single mom, faced the unthinkable when she woke up one fateful morning unable to speak or move the right side of her body. Hearing her daughters in the kitchen but unable to call out, she fought her way to the floor and drew their attention just in time for them to call 911. The shocking diagnosis? A massive stroke.

"It was a complete shock to hear I had a stroke," Mulloor recalls. "I was leading an active lifestyle, hiking and participating in yoga and Zumba. My health metrics were all in the clear."

Now living with aphasia, a condition that robs her of the ability to communicate as she once did, Mulloor sought hope through a groundbreaking research study headed by Dr. Sean Dukelow at the University of Calgary. This innovative project explored the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in combination with intensive speech therapy to enhance recovery from post-stroke aphasia.

"The results of this non-invasive therapy are incredibly promising," says Dr. Dukelow, a professor at the Cumming School of Medicine and the study’s principal investigator. "We focused on participants who were at least six months post-stroke due to a lack of data on the brain's ability to continue recovering and repairing itself. Our findings show it can!"

Mulloor was one of 44 participants in a carefully controlled trial, split into two groups. Both received two weeks of intensive speech therapy, but only one group underwent real TMS treatment, while the other received a placebo, believing they were getting the actual therapy.

The intensive therapy, supervised by lead speech-language pathologist Shannan Love, involved over three hours of engaging drills based on multimodal aphasia therapy (M-MAT), which included reading, writing, drawing, and speech tasks. "Although we couldn't discern the effects of the stimulation during the study, we were thrilled to see so many participants making tangible gains," Love shared.

Beyond the numbers, participants experienced boosts in confidence and mood, with many reporting increased dexterity in their hands and arms. The standout takeaway was that every participant showed some level of speech improvement, a testament to the brain's resilience and adaptability.

Trevor Low, an MD/Ph.D. student and co-author of the study, underscores the significance of the results: "Even those in the non-TMS group showed some improvement, albeit modestly. The TMS group, however, saw remarkable gains. It’s astonishing that the brain retains the ability to rewire itself long after a stroke; many participants had their strokes years ago."

Three years post-stroke, Mulloor experienced a transformation in her speech capabilities after participating in the study, expressing newfound confidence and a revitalized ability to recall words. Researchers confirmed she had benefited from the TMS therapy, reigniting hope for countless others facing similar challenges.