The Duke Neuromodulation and Stroke Recovery Lab focuses on developing and investigating non-invasive brain stimulation tools for post-stroke recovery, including both upper extremity and lower extremity motor recovery, visual deficit recovery and central post-stroke pain syndrome. The tools are Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Stimulation (LIFUS), caloric vestibular stimulation and Limb Remote Ischemic Preconditioning (LRIPreC).

Additionally, we study imaging-based biomarkers or algorithm-based prediction tools for post-stroke motor outcomes. Our multidisciplinary research is mainly sponsored by the National Institute of Health, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, industry, and philanthropic funding.

• Automated multimodal segmentation of acute ischemic stroke lesions on clinical MR images. Moon HS, Heffron L, Mahzarnia A, Obeng-Gyasi B, Holbrook M, Badea CT, Feng W, Badea A.Magn Reson Imaging. 2022 Jun 7;92:45-57. doi: 10.1016/j.mri.2022.06.001
• Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Stroke Motor Recovery-What Is Next? Keser Z, Feng W. Transl Stroke Res. 2022 Jun 2. doi: 10.1007/s12975-022-01041-4.
• Chronic Stroke Sensorimotor Impairment Is Related to Smaller Hippocampal Volumes: An ENIGMA Analysis. Zavaliangos-Petropulu A, Lo B, Donnelly MR, Schweighofer N, Lohse K, Jahanshad N, Barisano G, Banaj N, Borich MR, Boyd LA, Buetefisch CM, Byblow WD, Cassidy JM, Charalambous CC, Conforto AB, DiCarlo JA, Dula AN, Egorova-Brumley N, Etherton MR, Feng W, Fercho KA, Geranmayeh F, Hanlon CA, Hayward KS, Hordacre B, Kautz SA, Khlif MS, Kim H, Kuceyeski A, Lin DJ, Liu J, Lotze M, MacIntosh BJ, Margetis JL, Mohamed FB, Piras F, Ramos-Murguialday A, Revill KP, Roberts PS, Robertson AD, Schambra HM, Seo NJ, Shiroishi MS, Stinear CM, Soekadar SR, Spalletta G, Taga M, Tang WK, Thielman GT, Vecchio D, Ward NS, Westlye LT, Werden E, Winstein C, Wittenberg GF, Wolf SL, Wong KA, Yu C, Brodtmann A, Cramer SC, Thompson PM, Liew SL. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 May 17;11(10):e025109. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.121.025109. Epub 2022 May 16.
• The Hypereosinophilic Syndrome - An Unusual Cause of Myocarditis and Cardioembolic Strokes.Ryan D, Inamullah O, El Husseini N, Wang E, Selim MA, Feng W. Am J Med Sci. 2022 May 21:S0002-9629(22)00241-5. doi: 10.1016/j.amjms.2022.05.019.
• Chronic Stroke Sensorimotor Impairment Is Related to Smaller Hippocampal Volumes: An ENIGMA Analysis. Zavaliangos-Petropulu A, Lo B, Donnelly MR, Schweighofer N, Lohse K, Jahanshad N, Barisano G, Banaj N, Borich MR, Boyd LA, Buetefisch CM, Byblow WD, Cassidy JM, Charalambous CC, Conforto AB, DiCarlo JA, Dula AN, Egorova-Brumley N, Etherton MR, Feng W, Fercho KA, Geranmayeh F, Hanlon CA, Hayward KS, Hordacre B, Kautz SA, Khlif MS, Kim H, Kuceyeski A, Lin DJ, Liu J, Lotze M, MacIntosh BJ, Margetis JL, Mohamed FB, Piras F, Ramos-Murguialday A, Revill KP, Roberts PS, Robertson AD, Schambra HM, Seo NJ, Shiroishi MS, Stinear CM, Soekadar SR, Spalletta G, Taga M, Tang WK, Thielman GT, Vecchio D, Ward NS, Westlye LT, Werden E, Winstein C, Wittenberg GF, Wolf SL, Wong KA, Yu C, Brodtmann A, Cramer SC, Thompson PM, Liew SL.J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 May 17;11(10):e025109. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.121.025109. Epub 2022 May 16
• In vivo Measurements of Electric Fields During Cranial Electrical Stimulation in the Human Brain. Wang M, Feng T, Jiang H, Zhu J, Feng W, Chhatbar PY, Zhang J, Zhang S. Front Hum Neurosci. 2022 Feb 18;16:829745. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.829745. eCollection 2022.
• Advances in the management of cardioembolic stroke associated with patent foramen ovale. Mac Grory B, Ohman EM, Feng W, Xian Y, Yaghi S, Kamel H, Reznik ME. BMJ. 2022 Feb 9;376:e063161. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2020-063161.
• Hyperglycemia, Risk of Subsequent Stroke, and Efficacy of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy: A Post Hoc Analysis of the POINT Trial.
  Mac Grory B, Piccini JP, Yaghi S, Poli S, De Havenon A, Rostanski SK, Weiss M, Xian Y, Johnston SC, Feng W.
• Preventing Ischemic Cerebrovascular Events in High-Risk Patients With Non-disabling Ischemic Cerebrovascular Events Using Remote Ischemic Conditioning: A Single-Arm Study.
  Liu S, Gao Z, Meng R, Song H, Tang T, Zhao Y, Chen R, Sheng Y, Fan Q, Jiang F, Zhang Q, Ding J, Huang X, Ma Q, Dong K, Xue S, Yu Z, Duan J, Chu C, Chen X, Huang X, Li S, Ovbiagele B, Zhao W, Ji X, Feng W.
• Ipsilateral internal carotid artery web and acute ischemic stroke: A cohort study, systematic review and meta-analysis. Mac Grory B, Nossek E, Reznik ME, Schrag M, Jayaraman M, McTaggart R, de Havenon A, Yaghi S, Feng W, Furie K, Boyanpally A. PLoS One. 2021 Sep 17;16(9):e0257697. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257697. eCollection 2021.
• Commentary: Variability of Practice, Information Processing, and Decision Making-How Much Do We Know?Kim T, Wright DL, Feng W. Front Psychol. 2021 Aug 4;12:685749. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.685749. eCollection 2021.
• Prevalence, risk and protective factors for mild cognitive impairment in a population-based study of Singaporean elderly.
  Liu LY, Lu Y, Shen L, Li CB, Yu JT, Yuan CR, Ye KX, Chao YX, Shen QF, Mahendran R, Kua EH, Yu DH, Feng L. J Psychiatr Res. 2021 Nov 25;145:111-117. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.11.041. Online ahead of print.
• Real-World Adherence to OnabotulinumtoxinA Treatment for Spasticity: Insights From the ASPIRE Study. Esquenazi A, Francisco GE, Feng W, Baricich A, Gallien P, Fanning K, Zuzek A, Bandari DS, Wittenberg GF. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2021 Jul 7:S0003-9993(21)00497-4. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2021.06.008.
• Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on the Affected Hemisphere Enhances Hand Functional Recovery in Subacute Adult Stroke Patients: A Randomized Trial. Yang Y, Pan H, Pan W, Liu Y, Song X, Niu CM, Feng W, Wang J, Xie Q. Front Aging Neurosci. 2021 May 19;13:636184. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.636184. eCollection 2021.
• Detection of Atrial Fibrillation After Central Retinal Artery Occlusion. Mac Grory B, Landman SR, Ziegler PD, Boisvert CJ, Flood SP, Stretz C, Madsen TE, Reznik ME, Cutting S, Moore EE, Hewitt H, Closser JB, Torres J, Lavin PJ, Furie KL, Xian Y, Feng W, Biousse V, Schrag M, Yaghi S. Stroke. 2021 Aug;52(9):2773-2781. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.033934. Epub 2021 Jun 7.
• Effects of Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Language Recovery in Poststroke Survivors With Aphasia: An Updated Meta-analysis. Hong Z, Zheng H, Luo J, Yin M, Ai Y, Deng B, Feng W, Hu X. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2021 Aug;35(8):680-691. doi: 10.1177/15459683211011230. Epub 2021 May 25.
• Direct Communication Between Brains: A Systematic PRISMA Review of Brain-To-Brain Interface. Nam CS, Traylor Z, Chen M, Jiang X, Feng W, Chhatbar PY. Front Neurorobot. 2021 May 7;15:656943. doi: 10.3389/fnbot.2021.656943. eCollection 2021.
• Structural and Functional Imaging of the Retina in Central Retinal Artery Occlusion - Current Approaches and Future Directions. Mac Grory B, Schrag M, Poli S, Boisvert CJ, Spitzer MS, Schultheiss M, Nedelmann M, Yaghi S, Guhwe M, Moore EE, Hewitt HR, Barter KM, Kim T, Chen M, Humayun L, Peng C, Chhatbar PY, Lavin P, Zhang X, Jiang X, Raz E, Saidha S, Yao J, Biousse V, Feng W. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2021 Jul;30(7):105828. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.105828. Epub 2021 May 17.
• SARS-CoV-2-related vascular injury: Mechanisms, imaging and models. Humayun L, Smith C, Li W, Zhang YS, Park C, Feng W, Yao J. Microphysiol Syst. 2021 Jan;5:1. doi: 10.21037/mps-20-6. Epub 2021 Jan 26.

View Dr. Feng's complete list of publications on PubMed.

Combining rTMS & aerobic exercise to treat depression and improve post-stroke walking (RESTORATION)
Funded by National Insitute of Child Health and Human Development - 1R01HD113299

This project aims to determine the efficacy of combining two known anti-depressant treatments shown to be effective in non-stroke depression, aerobic exercise training (AET) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), on post-stroke depressive symptoms.

TRANScranial direct current stimulation for POst-stroke motor Recovery – a phase II sTudy (TRANSPORT2)
Funded by the National Insitute of Stroke and Neurological Diseases - 1U01NS102353, U01NS102353-04S1

This project is a multi-center phase II clinical trial to determine whether there is an overall treatment effect among 3 dose groups (sham, 2 mA and 4 mA) of Transcranial direct current stimulation for post-stroke motor recovery.

Transcranial Electrical Stimulation EaRly After Stroke onset Clinical Trial 2 (TESSERACT2)

This grant aims to test a neurovascular modulatory technique – Cathodal tDCS as an adjunctive AIS therapy for dose escalation and safety study.

Duke-University of North Carolina (UNC) Eastern North Carolina and Southern Virginia RegIonal Stroke trIal cONsortium (ENVISION)
Funded by the National Institute of Stroke and Neurological Diseases - 1U24NS135250

This award aims to create a regional bi-states(North Carolina and Virginia) rural area with a stroke clinical trial consortium.

A Study to Estimate How Often Post-stroke Spasticity Occurs and to Provide a Standard Guideline on the Best Way to Monitor Its Development (EPITOME)
Funded by Ipsen company

This study is a prospective cohort study to follow up with a group of stroke patients (ischemic or hemorrhagic) to see who develops problematic spasticity.

International Research Collaboration on Stroke Motor Recovery
Funded by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association - 24IVPHA1287339

This award provides short-term visiting award to foster an international collaboration on a stroke recovery project.

Neurophysiological quantification of the corticoreticulospinal drive to walking -specific muscles in hemiparetic stroke
Funded by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association

This project aim to study the role of corticoreticulospinal tract in walking specific muscles in the setting of stroke.