A new, non-invasive, wearable magnetic headpiece developed to help improve recovery for stroke survivors was presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2020 – a world premiere meeting for clinicians and researchers dedicated to the science of brain health.
The device is a multifocal TRPMS (transcranial, rotating, permanent magnet stimulator) which is placed on the patient’s head and delivers magnetic stimulation that enhances brain activity. The technology works by safely stimulating the brain to rewire itself.
Mitchell Elkind, president of the American Heart Association and professor of neurology and epidemiology at Columbia University New York, finds this project exciting and said:
“… this is an area that’s been evolving over many years, and it’s very exciting to see that it’s reached this level. The advantage of this kind of wearable magnetic stimulation is that the patient could have it at home with them. They don’t necessarily have to come into the clinical or to the academic medical center to have this sort of treatment applied to them.”
In an initial, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial of thirty chronic ischemic stroke survivors, the device produced significant increases in physiological brain activity in regions near the injured brain, as measured by functional MRI.
David Chiu, M.D., lead study author and director of the Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas, said:
“The robustness of the increase in physiological brain activity was surprising. With only 30 subjects, a statistically significant change was seen in brain activity. If confirmed in a larger multicenter trial, the results would have enormous implications. This technology would be the first proven treatment for recovery of motor function after chronic ischemic stroke.”
The use of magnetic stimulation to promote recovery of motor function after stroke has been an ongoing investigation. It was already known that stimulation might alter neural activity and induce the reorganization of circuits in the brain. Hence, Chiu’s team developed a wearable stimulator in hopes it could help stroke patients recover more quickly.
The Study
- Thirty chronic ischemic stroke survivors who had weakness on one side of their body were recruited. They all had to be at least three months post-stroke to participate.
- The trial was focused on evaluating the safety and efficacy of the device.
- The cohort was split up into two groups by random selection. One group received a mock (sham) treatment, while the other received active transcranial magnetic brain stimulation.
- The treatment consisted of 20 40-minute sessions administered over four weeks.
- Each patient’s physiologic brain activity was analyzed before the treatment, immediately after, a month following completion, and at a three-month follow-up.
The Results
- All the participants well tolerated the treatment.
- The active treatment produced nearly nine times higher increases in brain activity compared to the mock treatment.
- Numerical improvements were demonstrated in five of six clinical scales of motor function, as measured by a functional MRI test. However, the study could not prove that the transcranial stimulator itself caused improved motor function.
- The favorable treatment effects carried on through the three-month follow-up.
The team is currently planning a larger trial to evaluate better the efficacy of the device in improving motor function following a stroke. Chiu is optimistic that technology will change the way clinicians help patients recover following a stroke.
He said:
“If confirmed in a larger multicenter trial, the results would have enormous implications. This technology would be the first proven treatment for recovery of motor function after chronic ischemic stroke.”
Seraya Medical will be sponsoring the coming trials.
