FOS and Stroke: This finding was thoroughly corroborated in basic experiments: in a post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) rat model, 2 Hz electroacupuncture reduced neurological impairment and encouraged repair by upregulating c-fos neuronal expression in the brainstem reticular formation (73, 82); Simultaneously, it activates two neuronal pathways centered on the brainstem nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS)—the “M1-PBN-NTS” and “NTS-VPM-S1” pathways—to improve swallowing function (61, 83).