Bioengineering researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas recently received a $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the use of wireless vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) to enhance recovery after stroke. The NIH funding will be used for final testing of the new device before it moves on to clinical trials necessary for Food and Drug Administration approval. “The stimulation enhances the patient’s neuroplasticity, which can make the combined stimulation and rehabilitation three times more effective over traditional rehabilitation alone,” Hays said. Production of the new wireless VNS device is cheaper and can be done entirely through automated processes without human contact. Once the new wireless device receives FDA approval, it is expected to expand both access and ease of use, particularly because it is compatible with traditional MRI.