Powers Health has become the first healthcare system in Indiana to use MicroTransponder’s Vivistim Paired VNS System to help stroke survivors regain upper limb function.
This FDA-approved technology uses vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) during rehabilitation therapy to help generate two to three times more hand and arm function for ischemic stroke survivors than occupational therapy or physical therapy alone.
“We’re proud to be the first in Indiana to offer stroke survivors this groundbreaking technology to enhance their quality of life,” said Jill Conner, executive director of Neuroscience Services for Powers Health. “The science behind Paired VNS Therapy is impressive because it can help increase neuroplasticity to help the brain relearn.”
To initiate Paired VNS Therapy, the small Vivistim device is placed in a patient’s upper left chest area during an outpatient procedure. Then, during occupational therapy or physical therapy, a therapist uses a wireless transmitter that communicates with proprietary software to signal the Vivistim device to deliver a gentle pulse to the vagus nerve. As this is happening, the stroke survivor performs a specific task, such as putting on a hat, brushing hair or cutting food.
The simultaneous pairing of the therapy exercise with vagus nerve stimulation releases neuromodulators that help create or strengthen neural connections to improve upper limb function and increase the efficacy of occupational or physical therapy.
Powers Health performed its first two Vivistim implant procedures on patients Thursday, Feb. 27 at Community Hospital in Munster. In a couple of weeks, the two patients will begin the Paired VNS Therapy at St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago.
The patients are among the 60 percent of stroke survivors who experience upper limb issues for six months or longer. Paired VNS Therapy has been clinically proven to help improve hand and arm function during this phase.
“This collaboration with Powers Health to incorporate Vivistim Therapy into its clinical care is remarkable and revives hope for stroke survivors who want more significant improvement of their hand and arm function,” said Richard Foust, MicroTransponder’s CEO.
For more information about stroke care at Powers Health, visit PowersHealth.org/services/stroke-care. To learn more about Vivistim Paired VNS Therapy and to review safety information, visit Vivistim.com/safety.