SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Every two seconds someone in the world suffers a stroke. A study from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago approached stroke rehabilitation through a new combination of therapies which produced significantly greater gains in patients’ motor function 6 months post-stroke. The combination of non-invasive navigated transcranial stimulation (nTMS) along with occupational therapy (OT) opened the door to improving the quality of life for stroke survivors. The study presented Thursday at the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association’s (ASA) International Stroke Conference, yielded results from the active group of improved function by 13+ points in UEFM score.
“The results obtained in the Contrastim trial provide evidence that non-invasive neurostimulation has major potential for improving motor function in stroke sufferers.” – Jarmo Laine, MD, Nexstim VP of Medical Affairs
The Study
Dr. Richard Harvey and his team at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) presented their research (presentation #152) which looked at the combination of non-invasive nTMS along with OT in post-stroke patients.
“It helped me greatly. It’s just immeasurable the progress that I have made.” – Dwayne Nelson, stroke trial patient
Treatment consisted of 20 minutes of pre-functional OT, 17 minutes of nTMS, followed by 60 minutes of upper limb task-oriented OT. Patients received treatment during 3 visits per week, for 6 weeks, as the standard of care in the US. They then returned for follow-up visits at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months. The study found that Nexstim’s non-invasive Navigated Brain Stimulation (NBS) System used as an adjunct to therapy promoted lasting improvements in patients’ motor function compared to the sham group.
“What we found is that there are areas of the brain, usually where the lesion is, that are less active than they used to be, and that there are actually areas on the brain on the opposite hemisphere, the healthy side of the brain, that are more active than they used to be.” – Lynn Rogers, PhD, Director, Neuralplasticity Laboratory, RIC
The Technology
Nexstim’s NBS System uses stereotactic, MRI-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to non-invasively modulate precise areas of the motor cortex. The System’s e-field-based targeting tool allows the therapist to accurately locate the patient’s exact stimulation location using technology similar to navigating the globe with a GPS. The nTMS was used to stimulate the patient’s non-injured hemisphere at low frequency. The nTMS affects the excitability of the brain, down-regulating the healthy side of the brain. Adding navigation to TMS is the key to finding the exact location and orientation of the e-field of the motor area that should be inhibited by stimulation. Nexstim’s targeted stimulation has been proven to correlate with Direct Cortical Stimulation in the OR).
“The trial results from RIC, the top site in post-acute stroke rehab in the US, are showing great potential for non-invasive brain modulation. The difference Nexstim is providing is the proven navigation to enable this approach. We are dedicated to taking this further and bringing this to the market for the patient care.” – Janne Huhtala, CEO, Nexstim
About The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) is the largest rehabilitation research enterprise in the world, and the Nation’s #1-ranked provider of comprehensive physical medicine and rehabilitation care to patients from around the world. Ranked #1 by both U.S. News and World Report and the U.S. National Institutes of Health, RIC holds an unparalleled market distinction. Founded in 1954, RIC has been designated the “#1 Rehabilitation Hospital in America” by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1991.
About Nexstim
Founded in Helsinki, Finland in 2000, Nexstim is committed to improving the quality of life of patients with significant unmet clinical needs. The advanced technology providing navigation to TMS has led to Nexstim being the world leader in image-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
Nexstim has pioneered the technology for brain diagnostics, holding FDA-clearance of the Navigated Brain Stimulation (NBS) System for non-invasive pre-surgical mapping. NBS is recognized as the emerging standard for pre-operative direct functional mapping. Nexstim’s NBS System enables treatment of brain injury and disease using repetitive TMS (rTMS) with accurate and repeatable 3D-guidance of therapeutic electrical field. See www.nexstim.com.
“The Nexstim machine is amazing! I want stock in this company.” – Darryl Holmes, stroke trial patient
Caution: Nexstim’s non-invasive NBS System is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for therapy in commercial use in the United States and is available to select physicians for investigational use only.
