In detail, the Vivistim device, made by MicroTransponder biotechnology, stimulates the vagus nerve - a large nerve that runs from the head and neck to the abdomen. The device is installed while the patient is undergoing movement rehabilitation exercises, which tells the brain to "watch" this movement.

Newly published research reveals that Vivistim significantly improves arm weakness and motor function in people with long-term arm weakness after a stroke. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been explored in the past as a way to treat depression, epilepsy, tinnitus, stroke, heart disease and obesity.

transplant surgery

Vagus nerve stimulation involves implantation surgery, somewhat similar to a pacemaker. The implant is inserted into patients under general anesthesia by making a horizontal neck incision around the cricoid cartilage, which surrounds the trachea.

Once implanted, the device stimulates the vagus nerve on the left side of the neck during intense physical rehabilitation. The electrical impulse from Vivistim is often felt by the patient as "a transient tingling in the throat" that fades with time.

It lasts for twenty years

According to the team of scientists, the safety of VNS implants has been demonstrated in other clinical areas, with researcher Dr. Charles Liu, director of the USC Neurorestoration Center in California, "VNS implants have been performed for more than 20 years and are generally simple and straightforward," expressing enthusiasm "for the possibility of Performing safe and well-established surgeries that may help restore hand and arm function after a stroke.”

Long-term loss of arm function is common after a stroke — the most common type of stroke associated with blocked blood flow to the brain. Approximately 80% of people with acute stroke have arm weakness, and up to 50 to 60% still have persistent problems after six months. There are currently few effective treatments to enhance arm recovery after a stroke, and intensive physical therapy is currently the best treatment option.

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