Oh, joy! Another day, another groundbreaking review on how to fix the brain after a stroke. Because, you know, despite strokes being as common as out-of-stock toilet paper during a pandemic, we’re still figuring out how to patch things up in the aftermath. Enter the world of invasive neuromodulation techniques—because nothing says “recovery” quite like hooking your neurons up to a battery pack.

First up, we have the vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), which sounds more like a spa treatment than a medical procedure. Then there’s deep brain stimulation (DBS), for those who thought their brains needed a bit more electrical encouragement. And let’s not forget the brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), because who wouldn’t want to be a little bit cyborg?

But wait, there’s more! The review also teases us with the tantalizing future of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and artificial intelligence-enabled implants and wearables. Because, apparently, the future of stroke recovery is not just about zapping your brain into submission, but also dressing it in smart accessories.

Despite the field of implantable devices for chronic stroke recovery still being in its “nascent stage” (read: we’re still not entirely sure what we’re doing), the authors assure us that the data reviewed suggests a massive potential for reducing the impact of this globally prevalent disorder. So, while we may not have all the answers yet, it seems the future of stroke recovery might just be electrifyingly bright—or at least, well accessorized.