Clinical Case Study: The Effects of Saltatory Pneumotactile Stimulation of Glabrous Hand and Perioral Face on Cerebral Oxygenation, Cognitive Performance, and Sensorimotor Function in an Adult following Left Hemorrhagic Stroke

Stroke remains a leading cause of adult disability and a significant global health concern. Effective rehabilitation strategies for cognitive and communicative impairments following stroke are limited (Kuhn & Sharman, 2023). One emerging approach involves repetitive somatosensory stimulation to drive cerebral hemodynamic changes, potentially offering a novel rehabilitative method. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive, accessible tool for monitoring these changes during stroke recovery. Prior studies suggest tactile stimulation rapidly affects brain hemodynamics (Custead et al., 2015; Oh et al., 2017). This clinical single-case study explored the use of GALILEO saltatory pneumotactile stimulation applied to the face and hand in an adult with Wernicke’s Aphasia following a major left hemorrhagic stroke. Stimulation was randomly applied before or after a cognitive and sensorimotor task protocol to evaluate its priming effects. The central hypothesis was that this repetitive stimulation would increase cerebral oxygenation and enhance task performance. The participant completed multiple sessions involving cognitive and sensorimotor tasks paired with random, bi-directional saltatory stimulation at velocities ranging from 5 to 105 cm/sec. Real-time cerebral oximetry monitored hemodynamic responses at frontal and parietal brain regions across four variables. Statistical analyses using regression and General Linear Mixed Models (GLM) showed that somatosensory stimulation significantly increased cerebral oxygenation and improved cortical vascular dynamics. These physiological changes were positively correlated with the participant’s improved performance on task-based protocols. Results support the potential of GALILEO somatosensory stimulation as a neurotherapeutic technique to enhance cognitive and sensorimotor function in stroke survivors. Overall, this study provides promising evidence that somatosensory stimulation can serve as a low-cost, evidence-based intervention to improve cerebral hemodynamics and functional outcomes in individuals recovering from stroke. While based on a single case, the findings contribute to the growing body of research supporting neuroplastic rehabilitation strategies, with implications for clinical practice in speech-language pathology and post-stroke care. Advisor: Steven M. Barlow