Tickling a rat's whiskers prevents brain damage after a stroke

This is truly bizarre, it seems that tickling a rat's whiskers after it has suffered from a stroke could prevent major brain damage

In the two-hour window after a stroke, flicking a single whisker completely prevents many damaging effects in a rat, a new study finds. The cheap, simple intervention, described November 15 at a news conference at the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting, may represent a new way to minimize disability after a stroke.

I don't know if this could be translated up to work on humans, but it is definitely worth looking into further.

“I think it’s one of the most profound findings that have come along in recent years,” said neuroscientist Carol Barnes of the University of Arizona in Tucson. “There is no brain damage. It’s almost a miracle. It’s almost too good to be true. Any protection would be good, but this is more than dramatic.”

Researchers led by Ron Frostig of the University of California, Irvine mimicked a stroke by severing a major blood vessel in rats’ brains. Then at times during the two hours immediately afterward, a mechanical rod stimulated a single whisker on the anesthetized rat for a total of less than five minutes.

With whisker stimulation they found that the blood began to flow backward through the severed vessel and got rerouted to other blood vessels

Researchers don’t yet know whether a similar link between sensory stimulation and stroke protection is present in humans. The two-hour sensitive period observed in rats might be a little longer in people because human metabolism is slower than in rats.

The human analogs to a whisker are the lips and fingers, so perhaps sensory input to those regions might confer benefits to someone having a stroke.

Any stimulation might be useful, Frostig speculates. “If you see a stroke victim, I would sing, I would stroke their face, I would do whatever I can. It can save lives or minimize risks,” Frostig said.

If this turns out to be applicable to humans then that is just great. Strokes are the third most common cause of death in England & Wales, after heart disease and cancer, causing ~53,000 deaths a year

Tickling a rat's whiskers prevents brain damage after a stroke

Interesting. I wonder if this would work on humans, by stimulating certain umm.. areas?

Haha, well, whoever wants to give a stroke victim a good old fashioned...

Interesting article. Weird, but uplifting

This is great news, I am going to make sure I carry a rat around with me at all times.
Thanks for this, this gives us lots of hope, breakthroughs like this are going to save us all one day.

I have 4 rats

I hope they will never get a stroke but if they do now i know what to do.

Thank you.

What a strange study. Now who in teh world figured that out? And I like rats, but who sits around in a lab tickling their whiskers?

That's cruel Severing the blood supply to an animals brain to induce a stroke ? Talk about science without compassion. Maybe that 'scientist' should cut the blood supply to his own brain next time.

reply to post by Griffo


This is absolutely amazing. Animal whiskers have some very special properties. Not only does it stop them entering spaces too tight for them, they can supposedly detect all kinds of things through them like weather and paranormal activity if you believe in that kind of thing.

I take it whiskers feed directly into the brain?

This is all the proof I need that growing a beard is advantageous to my health. Stroking my beard is very relaxing. Shaving is for chumps.

I'm joking, but I do wonder if having a beard has any health benefits.

Astounding news!
The nerve roots in the whiskers of a rat are a major sensory organ because of their naturally dark habitat. This must be applicable to humans too.... our sensory heavyweights are the tongue & hands. I'd love to see research done on this asap!

Incredible stuff! S+F