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Neuromodulation Market Report Offers Forecast to 2017
March 25, 2013 - Research and Markets calls neuromodulation a high-growth industry for the next decade, and offers the report "Neuromodulation Market - [Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Gastric Electrical Stimulation (GES), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Sacral Nerve Stimulation (SNS), & Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)] - Forecasts to 2017". (PR Newswire)

Start-up to Present Results of External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation in Refractory Epilepsy
March 25, 2013 - Los Angeles-based NeuroSigma, Inc. will report on the first example of potential clinical utility of its external trigeminal nerve stimulation device, the Monarch™ eTNS™ System, as an adjunctive treatment in refractory status epilepticus at the 4th London-Innsbruck Colloquium on Status Epilepticus and Acute Seizures to be held in Salzburg, Austria from April 4-6, 2013. (PR Newswire)

Lecture to Examine Past, Present and Future of Deep Brain Stimulation
March 18, 2013 - Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface editorial board member Kim Burchiel, MD, planned to present the past, present and future of deep brain stimulation during a lecture series at the Oregon Health & Science University. In an introductory blog post, he concluded, "the technology poses the bioethical question of whether our ability to modify brain function should be uncritically applied." (Oregon Health & Science University - On the Brain)

Device Company Supplier Works on Spinal Cord Stimulation Prototype
March 23, 2013 - Greatbatch Inc.'s ambitious, five-year, $50-million initiative to develop medical devices -- starting with a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system, Algostim -- may capture a significant share of the $1.4 billion SCS market, according to a news feature in the Buffalo News. The company is growing its intellectual property portfolio, and will retain is business supplying components to makers of neurostimulation and cardiac rhythm management devices. For Algostim, it would design and manufacture the devices but use a marketing partner for commercialization. (Buffalo News)

Startup Targets Bladder Control with Spinoff Nerve Stimulation Device
March 22 -  The Atlanta-based startup ConservoCare LLC is developing a high-frequency electrical nerve stimulation system for urinary retention or incontinence. The device is designed to eliminate spasms of the urethral sphincter and allow the bladder to function. Using technology licensed from Case Western Reserve University, the company has been financed by a $125K Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer grant from the National Institutes of Health, and by Case’s Translational Research Partnership with the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation. (MedCity News)

Optogenetics' Therapeutic Promise Discussed
March 20, 2013 - Perspectives articles in Science Translational Medicine address requirements for turning the technology of optogenetics into a therapy, and describe potential new circuit-level targets or biochemical, cellular events for intervention. (Science Translational Medicine)

Show Highlights Use of Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease
March 15, 2013 - In a television segment, deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease is called a little-known procedure that hasn't been reaching all the patients and physicians who could benefit. The segment includes an example of a patient whose tremor and medication dosages were reduced after she received DBS. (Windycitylive.com)

Australian Radio Show Reports on a Deep Brain Stimulation Operation
March 14, 2013 - In a radio interview with two neurosurgeons, a radio segment describes being in the operating theater during a deep brain stimulation surgery and inquires about the future for better understanding and treating disorders of neural circuits. (612 ABC Brisbane)

Acute Migraine Treatment Study Using External Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Be Presented at Meeting
March 13, 2013 - ElectroCore®, announced that its study of patients with acute migraine headache treated with its non-invasive, portable vagal nerve stimulation treatment, GammaCore®, will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting March 16-23 in San Diego. In the study, 27 participants treated an acute migraine with two, 90-second stimulation doses, applied externally at 15-minute intervals and delivered to the right cervical branch of the vagus nerve. Two-thirds of patients treated at mild pain were pain-free at two hours. Treatment-related adverse effects were limited. The company is now enrolling patients in a chronic migraine prevention study at several U.S. centers.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Aided Working Memory Issues for Schizophrenia Patients in Pilot Study
March 12, 2013 - Researchers at the University of Toronto have used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to improve working memory in 27 medicated schizophrenia patients in a double-blind pilot study. After 20 rTMS sessions over four weeks, the improvement was comparable to healthy subjects. Working memory problems can be a functionally disabling component of schizophrenia. (Science Daily)

New Content Posted to INS Website on Spasticity and Rehabilitation Approaches
March 10, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member Konstantina Petropoulou MD, PhD, of the National Rehabilitation Center in Athens, Greece, has written an overview for healthcare professionals regarding management of spasticity with a focus on rehabilitation, including the use of intrathecal drug delivery systems. She has also contributed review of a brief description of the condition for non-specialists, posted to the INS website, at http://www.neuromodulation.com/spasticity.

Laboratory Research: Stimulation of Brainstem May Speed CNS Injury Recovery
March 10, 2013 - Preclinical research indicates that applying electrical stimulation to the rap he nuclei of the brainstem may induce biological control mechanisms that could enhance recovery from traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury. (Neurotech Zone)

Maker of High-Frequency Stimulation Device Garners $48 Million in Series C Financing
March 7, 2013 - Nevro Corp. has completed a $48 million Series C round of financing led by new investor Novo Ventures, with New Enterprise Associates and Coviden Ventures. Existing investors participating in this financing round included Accuitive Medical Ventures, Bay City Capital, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, Mayo Clinic, MPM Capital, and Three Arch Partners. Based in Menlo Park, Calif., Nevro is commercializing the Senza® high-frequency spinal cord stimulation system for chronic pain, such as low back pain, and other conditions. The system is available in Europe and Australia. The funds will be used to sponsor an ongoing U.S. clinical trial, explore new indications, and support commercialization. (Nevro)

U.S. Army is Collaborating on Neurostimulation Device Worn on the Tongue During Rehabilitation Activities
March 7, 2013 - Researchers at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and NeuroHabilitation Corporation, are working on a battery-operated neurostimulator that is inserted on the tongue for periods of 20 minutes or so during rehabilitation activities. Called the Portable NeuroModulation Stimulator (PoNs), it is designed to provide so-called "cranial nerve non-invasive neuromodulation" to the brainstem. PoNs has been considered for helping improve balance in patients who have multiple sclerosis, or assisting treatment of people suffering from concussion or brain injury. Testing will include a collaborative study with researchers and clinicians at the Blanchfield Army Community Hospital in Fort Campbell, Ky.

Brain Stimulation in Anorexia Trial Shows Effects Beyond Stimulation Target
March 7, 2013 - A news feature describes a woman who had anorexia nervosa for two decades and has achieved a healthy weight as part of a clinical trial led by Dr. Andres Lozano of Toronto Western Hospital. He said the targeted area of the brain, the subcallosal cingulate, is turned down by the stimulation, likely toning down the anxiety, depression and other moods disorders that are hallmarks of the eating disorder. A surprise was an area of the brain involved with self-perception, or body image, was turned up. He compared the stimulation to a butterfly flapping its wings, since changing the activity of one area of the brain has consequences at other areas that are remote but are connected. (The Canadian Press)

Researchers Report Results From Early Trial of Deep Brain Stimulation in Anorexia Nervosa
March 6, 2013 - In a Phase I safety trial of six patients with treatment-resistant anorexia nervosa, by nine months after the start of deep brain stimulation to the subcallosal cingulate, half the patients had gained weight, four had improved mood, and two of those completed an inpatient eating disorders program, according to a research report in The Lancet. (Medical Xpress)

Television Segment Features Young Parkinson's Disease Patient's Neurosurgery
March 6, 2013 - Nine years after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 29, an Arizona man became one of about 1,000 patients so far to undergo a new deep brain stimulation surgery that takes place while the patient is under anesthesia. (ABC News)

Brain Stimulation for Learning Study Shows Tradeoffs in Speed and Concentration
March 5, 2013 - A controlled research study on 19 healthy volunteers at the University of Oxford found that transcranial electrical stimulation during a mathematical training exercise had mixed effects. Subjects whose parietal area was stimulated performed more quickly during the weeklong study, but they were slower to put their new learning to use on a novel task. Meanwhile, volunteers who had the prefrontal area stimulated were slower than controls in learning the new numerical system but quicker to apply it to a new test at the end of the experiment. (Wired)

Deep Brain Stimulation Service in Vancouver Experiences Growing Demand
March 6, 2013 - The province of British Columbia has only one neurosurgeon performing deep brain stimulation surgery at up to about 40 cases annually -- resulting in a waiting list of almost three years. The service is budgeted as a local program of the Vancouver Coastal Authority although most patients live outside that region. So far efforts to find research funding from a charitable group focused on Parkinson's disease have been unsuccessful. (Vancouver Sun)

Neuromodulation Market Report Predicts $12.45 Billion Market by 2023
March 4, 2013 - In a market report that spans 2013 - 2023, Visiongain projects a value of $12.45B for the global neuromodulation devices market in 2023. Among other factors, the report describes expanding disease indications. (PR Newswire)

Temporary Electrodes Track Excessive Brain Synchronization in Motor Disorder and Therapeutic Effect of Deep Brain Stimulation
March 4, 2013 - A method to detect excessive brain synchronization at the surface of the brain in people with Parkinson’s disease is being reported online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, based on three years of study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco; University of Cincinnati; Stanford University; and the University of Washington Medical Center. The researchers used flexible electrodes at the surface of the brain to detect activity there during neurosurgery. The study was conducted in 25 patients -- 16 with Parkinson’s disease and nine with cervical dystonia. The researchers compared the the brain activity of these patients who had motor disorder to that recorded in patients who were being operated on for epilepsy. The research showed the effect of deep brain stimulation in halting excessive synchronization. Such findings could contribute to future neurostimulation approaches that respond automatically and flexibly to a patient’s needs. (University of California, San Francisco)

Access to Epilepsy Treatment Affected by Limited Information
March 4, 2013 - Despite the existence of interventions for epilepsy that include 26 approved medications in the U.S. and FDA-approved vagus nerve stimulation, access to care and referrals to treatment still fall short, according to a neurologist who contributed to a 2012 Institute of Medicine panel on the issue. Dr. Joseph Sirven, professor of neurology and department chair at the Mayo Clinic Arizona, writes that misinformation and lack of information are one limiting factor. (NBC Latino)

Heart Failure Neuromodulation Developer Receives Additional Startup Funding
Feb. 28, 2013 - Sorin Group announced a $5 million investment in Israel-based Enopace Biomedical, which is developing an endovascular neurostimulation system for heart failure. Sorin Group, a global medical device company based in Milan, has invested in Enopace in 2011 and anticipates further investments based upon completion of development milestones. (BusinessWire)

Small Study of Focused Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Lowered Pain Perception in Fibromyalgia
Feb. 28, 2013 - A novel noninvasive brain stimulation technique, high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS), which uses algorithms to focus and target stimulation, was tested in single, 20-minute sessions on 18 patients who have fibromyalgia in a sham-controlled crossover trial. The stimulation was reported in the Journal of Pain http://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900%2812%2900967-4/abstract to provide significant reduction in overall perceived pain as compared to sham stimulation, regardless of polarity. (ProHealth.com)

Thought-Controlled Prosthetic Arm Implanted
Feb. 26, 2013 - An amputee in Sweden has received the first permanent implantation of a prosthetic arm that is attached to the bone via a titanium socket, and controlled by electrodes implanted in his nerves and muscles. Designed at Chalmers University with contributions from Sahlgrenska University Hospital, the limb is designed to permit more movements than a simple, externally attached, robotic hand. (Gizmag.com)

Early Deep Brain Stimulation in Youths With Dystonia Showed Lingering Benefit
Feb. 22, 2013 - Two patients whose primary generalized dystonia was successfully treated in their teens with bilateral pallidal deep brain stimulation (DBS) were reported to retain clinical benefit for at least two months after their devices had inadvertently been switched off. Unusually, the reappearing symptoms were milder than before. It is hypothesized the stimulation induced changes in the abnormal neural connectivity underlying the disease -- possibly due to their young age, short duration of disease and length of time on DBS, as well as their relatively low level of stimulation. Details and commentary were published in Movement Disorders (Medscape Medical News)

Device Supplier Posts Strong Profits in Fourth Quarter
Feb. 26, 2013 - Greatbatch, Inc. posted a fourth-quarter 2012 adjusted earnings per share of 53 cents significantly exceeded the year-ago adjusted earnings of 39 cents (up 36% year over year).  Within the neuromodulation and cardiac rhythm management area, sales decreased 5% year over year to $73.7 million due to market competition, strong shipments in the prior quarter and tough year-over-year comparables. In this sector, management anticipated short-term headwinds from key original equipment manufacturer customers. (NASDAQ.com)

External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation Study Author Notes Effects on Seizures, Mood
Feb. 21, 2013 - Both anti-epileptic effect and mood effects appeared in a double-blind, randomized, active-control trial of external trigeminal nerve stimulation that was completed by 42 patients who have medically resistant epilepsy. An interview with  lead study author Christopher M. DeGiorgio, MD, professor of neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and vice president of NeuroSigma, appeared in Neurology Today, along with a podcast interview. He said response climbed to 40.5 percent of the treatment group by 18 weeks. (Neurology Today)

High-Frequency Stimulation Shown to Yield Chronic Back Pain and Leg Pain Relief
Feb. 26, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society members Jean-Pierre Van Buyten, MD, Adnan Al-Kaisy, MD and colleagues report in Neuromodulation results of a trial of high-frequency spinal cord stimulation without parathesia using the Nevro Corp. Senza system. The trial enrolled 83 patients with chronic back pain. Of 72 patients who went on to permanent implant, more than 70% had significant and sustained low back pain and leg pain relief. (NeuroNews)

Using 32 Contacts Allows Neurostimulation to Circle Skull for Chronic Headache "Halo" Treatment
Feb. 25, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member Nameer Haider, MD, announced a neurostimulation treatment for chronic headache that circles the skull. The 360-degree Halo procedure uses 32 electrical contacts to stimulate 12 nerves; supraorbital/supratrochlear, auriculotemporal, and greater/lesser occipital. (PR Web)

Therapeutic Effect of Stimulation on Neural Circuit Revealed in Brain-Imaging Study
Feb. 25, 2013 - An fMRI study in patients who received deep brain stimulation for obsessive compulsive disorder showed the communication between the nucleus accumbens, which influences motivation, and the frontal cortex, which aids decision-making, was increased when stimulation was off, and was higher than in healthy participants. That excessive connectivity is what deep-brain stimulation seems to break, said investigator Martijn Figee, MD, of the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam. Stimulation appears to override disease-linked oscillations between the two regions. (Technology Review)

Deep Brain Stimulation Developer Receives Additional Funding
Feb. 25, 2013 - Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation B.V. of Eindhoven, the Netherlands and Munich, Germany, has added €7.5 m to its €16.5 m round of Series A financing. The investment supports development of a deep brain stimulation with the capacity to steer the electrical pulses away from areas which may produce side-effects. The most recent financing comes from the Dutch investment group INKEF Capital, whose founder Frank R. Landsberger, PhD, was appointed to the company's advisory board. Sapiens was spun out in 2011 from Royal Philips Electronics to commercialize a steering brain stimulation probe, implant and image-guided programming. (News-Medical.Net)

Advisory Panel Supports FDA Approval of Closed-Loop Neurostimulator for Epilepsy
Feb. 24, 2013 - An FDA advisory panel voted on Friday 11-0, with two abstentions, to recommend approval of NeuroPace Inc.'s RNS System, a closed-loop neurostimulator that is placed just under the skull to control epilepsy. (Newsday)

Study: Effect of Deep Brain Stimulation on Obsessive Complusive Disorder
Feb. 24, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member Brian Snyder, MD, described obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as a "disorder of neurocircuitry" in an article describing a Dutch study of deep brain stimulation to a part of the brain that is involved in motivation and reward processing, the nucleus accumbens. Published in Nature Neuroscience, the study showed that stimulation essentially restored normal functioning to that part of the brain in 16 patients with OCD. (Medical Xpress)

Patients Sought for Ongoing Trial of Spinal Cord Stimulation in Refractory Angina
Feb. 22, 2013 - Additional patients are being recruited for a feasibility trial of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in patients with refractory angina. The RASCAL (Refractory Angina Spinal Cord stimulation and usuAL care) pilot study compares SCS to usual care alone. The U.K.-based investigators include International Neuromodulation Society members Sam Eldabe, MB ChB, FFPMRCA; Jon Raphael, MB ChB MSc MD FRCA; Simon Thomson, MBBS, FRCA, FIPP; Brookes Morag, RGN, BSc; and Rod S. Taylor, PhD. (7th Space)

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Device Company Sees Shares Climb
Feb. 22, 2013 - Cyberonics Inc. said Friday that its net income climbed 39 percent in the fiscal third quarter as it sold more of its nerve stimulation devices designed to treat epilepsy and depression by delivering electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve. Net income in the November-January quarter rose to $13.2 million, or 47 cents per share, from $9.5 million, or 34 cents per share. Revenue rose grew 15 percent, to $62.7 million from $54.5 million. (CNBC)

Agreement Reached to Distribute Neuromodulation Products in Japan
Feb. 20, 2013 - The Boston Scientific subsidiary Boston Scientific Japan K.K. has reached an agreement with Fukuda Denshi Co., Ltd. to market and sell the Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Precision Plus System and accessories throughout Japan. Fukuda Denshi will begin distributing Boston Scientific neuromodulation products April 1, 2013. (Boston Scientific)

Closed-Loop Neurostimulation for Epilepsy To Be Reviewed by FDA Panel
Feb. 21, 2013 - An FDA advisory panel is scheduled to vote today on whether to recommend approval of the first neurostimulation device that operates in a responsive, closed-loop fashion through detecting possible seizure onset in epileptic patients and delivering stimulation when apparently needed. The RNS System by Mt. View, Calif.-based NeuroPace, Inc. will be presented today to the panel, along with comments from the public, including representatives of the Epilepsy Foundation highlighting the need for innovative treatments. (Medical Xpress)

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Trial in Heart Failure Comes to Mississippi
Feb. 21, 2013 - North Mississippi Medical Center implanted the first vagus nerve stimulation system in the state as part of a clinical trial to treat heart failure. The CardioFit device by BioControl Medical is undergoing a worldwide investigation through the Innovate-HF trial. Two patients were implanted in the fall at the Tupelo, Miss.-based medical center, and commented in an article by the center that they have noticed a difference since then in their quality of life or activity levels. (Marketwire)

Clinic Created to Streamline Process for Potential Deep Brain Stimulation Candidates
Feb. 20, 2013 -  A new clinic aimed at streamlining the evaluation and approval process for the growing number of patients who are potential candidates for deep brain stimulation has opened at the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center of the Barrow Neurological Institute. The process should now be completed in six weeks or less, rather than up to one year, and includes comprehensive treatment education. (PR Newswire)

International Neuromodulation Society Member is a Key Figure in Proposed U.S. Brain Activity Map (BAM) Project
Feb. 19, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member John Donoghue, professor of neuroscience at Brown University, is described as "one of the core scientists" involved in the proposal for U.S. agencies to create brain-activity-mapping scientific observatories to produce open-source data, similar to the Human Genome Project, over the next decade. He was quoted as saying the effort should unite neuroscientists working in the field and attract engineers and computational scientists to find ways to better understand the function of neural networks and their role in brain disorders and treatment. (Time)

New Rates for INS Pre-Conference Sessions
February 2013 - The pre-conference sessions on June 8 and 9 for the 11th World Congress, Technology Transforming Chronic Illness Management, are now $360.53 each day, or $600 for both days. Register for one or two pre-conference days and the main congress and receive a 10% discount on the pre-conference fee. (International Neuromodulation Society)

Brazilian Chapter of the International Neuromodulation Society Launches Website
February 2013 - The Brazilian chapter of the INS (Sociedade Brasileira Neuromodulação - SBNM) has published its website listing articles, conferences, and members and their specialties, which include interventional pain treatment, movement disorders, spasticity, and neurosurgery.

Researcher Describes Plans to Implant Prosthetic Hand Controlled by Thought
Feb. 17, 2013 - Later this year, a man in his 20s in Rome will be fitted with a neuroprosthetic hand integrated with sensors linked to his nerves. He lost the lower part of his arm after an accident. The prosthetic is designed to provide sensory information from the fingertips, palm and wrists. It is intended to be attached to his arm's ulnar and median nerve branches to permit control of the hand's movement and provide sensory input, according to a talk by Silvestro Micera of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Boston. (Independent)

Patient Describes His Experience with Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy for Essential Tremor
Feb. 15, 2013 - In an account that mentions International Neuromodulation Society member  Ashwini Sharan, MD, a patient with essential tremor describes his decision to receive deep brain stimulation therapy after learning about it on television. (Jefferson University Hospitals)

Australia, Colombia Approve Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Primary Headache
Feb. 19, 2013 - New Jersey-based ElectroCore announced approval from Australia and Colombia for its non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) therapies for the acute and/or prophylactic treatment of primary headache (migraine, cluster headache and hemicrania continua) and medication-overuse headache in adults. The GammaCore therapy is available in Australia with physician authorization, and is expected to be available in Colombia in the first half of 2013. (MarketWatch)

Artificial Retina Implant Receives First U.S. Humanitarian Device Approval
Feb. 14, 2013 - The U.S. FDA announced it has approved the first implantable device to treat advanced retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in adult patients, the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System by Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. is based in Sylmar, Calif. The device uses a small video camera and transmitter mounted on eyeglasses and an artificial retina to improve the ability to detect light and dark. RP is a rare genetic disorder affecting about 100,000 patients in the U.S. Multimedia coverage of the Humanitarian Device approval appeared in the Wall Street Journal  (FDA)

Steering Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Deep Brain May Relieve Pain
Feb. 15, 2013 - In work presented at the 2012 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Stanford University researchers demonstrated in healthy subjects and fibromyalgia patients that transcranial magnetic field pulses directed to the anterior cingulate cortex may be effective in reducing acute or chronic pain. The researchers used four magnets and mathematically directed steering. (Scientific American Mind)

Neurologist Recounts Path of Development of Potential Deep Brain Stimulation Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease
Feb. 15, 2013 - Neurologist and author Richard C. Senelick, MD, writes in a column about the slow but potentially promising application of deep brain stimulation (DBS) to delay the effects of Alzheimer's disease. He notes the use of DBS for essential tremor and Parkinson's disease has become routine in the United States and Europe, improving the lives of over 100,000 people. In addition, new studies explore the use of DBS for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, obesity, and chronic pain. While studying the use of DBS in obesity, researchers observed that it produced increased memory. This led to safety trials and then clinical trials as a potential Alzheimer's disease therapy. (The Atlantic)

Study: Early Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease Shows Benefits
Feb. 14, 2013 - In a two-year study, researchers from Germany and France conclude that subthalmic stimulation was superior to medical therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease and early motor complications. In the study, 251 patients were randomly assigned to either deep brain stimulation plus medical therapy, or medical therapy alone. (New England Journal of Medicine)

Report: 12 Years of Experience With Deep Brain Stimulation for Neuropathic Pain
Feb. 13, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member Alex Green, MD, and Tipu Aziz, FMedSci, of the University of Oxford report in Neurosurgery that deep brain stimulation (DBS) can lead to long-term improvement in pain scores and other outcomes. The researchers present information about 59 patients teated between 1999 and 2011. The authors conclude that up to four years later, 66% of patients significantly improved their health status. Treatment was beneficial for 89% for patients with amputation and 70% of those with stroke, compared to 50% of those with brachial plexus injury. The study accounts for about 5% of all reported patients treated worldwide with DBS for neuropathic pain. (Newswise)

INS Member Describes Deep Brain Stimulation Research in Alzheimer's Disease
Feb. 11, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society North American chapter president Ali Rezai, MD, described deep brain stimulation research at Ohio State University that aims to slow the progress of Alzheimer's disease. In the research, an area of the frontal lobe is targeted. In different research, a team at Johns Hopkins University is looking at the fornix, which is involved in memory formation. The recently initiated study in Ohio will run two years. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Depression Scores Dropped in Most Study Subjects Who Received Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Antidepressant Therapy
Feb. 7, 2013 - In a study published Feb. 6 in JAMA Psychiatry, Dr. Felipe Fregni from the Harvard Medical School in Boston and Brazilian colleagues report that a combined treatment with antidepressant medication and transcranial direct current stimulation helped relieve symptoms in nearly two-thirds of patients after six weeks of treatment. Of 120 people in Brazil with moderate or severe depression, depression scores in the one-fourth of patients who received active combined stimulation and medication dropped to an average of 13  on a 0-to-60 scale. Before treatment study subjects' depression scores averaged 30 to 31. The untreated "sham" group's score dropped to 25 during the study. (Reuters)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Awards Phase I Grant to Company Developing Neurostimulation for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Feb. 5, 2013 - NeuroSigma, Inc. of California has received a Fast Track Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health to develop its implantable subcutaneous trigeminal nerve stimulation (sTNSTM) System. The company will receive $600,000 in Phase I, with $3 million in Phase II, dependent on the availability of funds and satisfactory progress. It is envisioned that patients who have drug-resistant epilepsy may chose to use an sTNSTM implant if their condition responds to external stimulation. The sTNSTM includes leads placed under the skin, but above the skull of the forehead and a pulse generator to be placed at the chest wall. (News-Medical.net)

Chronic Cluster Headache On-Demand Neurostimulation Treatment Results Published
Feb. 5, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member Ben Pless, president and chief executive officer of Autonomic Technologies, Inc., is quoted in a press release about results of a multi-center European study of the company's implant being developed to treat chronic cluster headache through on-demand stimulation of the sphenopalatine ganglion. As reported in Cephalalgia, the device was shown to be highly effective in achieving fast pain relief with  acceptable safety profile compared to similar surgical procedures. The novel therapy also decreased attack frequency. In the study, patients received low- or no stimulation on a random basis for purposes of comparing controls in a blinded fashion. The experimental period was 30 attacks or eight weeks; 19 of 28 (68%) patients experienced a clinically significant improvement: seven (25%) achieved pain relief in ≥50% of treated attacks, 10 (36%), a ≥50% reduction in attack frequency, and two (7%), both. (Business Wire)

Shoulder Pain Therapy System Can Be Marketed in Europe
Feb. 5, 2013 - SPR Therapeutics LLC has received CE mark approval to sell its Smartpatch nerve stimulation system for use in patients with chronic shoulder pain. (Crains Cleveland Business)

External Supraorbital Nerve Stimulation May Decrease Migraine Episodes
Feb. 4, 2013 - A study based at Liège University in Belgium indicates that external supraorbital nerve stimulation delivered daily for 20 minutes at a time may help to prevent migraine. In the study, 67 patients were followed for three months in the treated or control arms of the trial. The group that received clinical stimulation doses had 2.1 fewer migraine days per month, while there was no change in the control group. (American Academy of Neurology)

Researchers Publish Phase II Results of External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation in Epilepsy
Jan. 30, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member Ian Cook, MD, and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles and NeuroSigma, Inc., published results of a double-blind randomized active-control trial of 50 subjects who have drug-resistant epilepsy. The trail tested the suitability of external trigeminal nerve stimulation. The treatment group experienced a significant improvement in response over the 18-week treatment period, increasing from 17.8% at 6 weeks and 40.5% at 18 weeks. Overall 30.2% of the treatment group had a more than 50% reduction in seizure, compared to 21.1% for the active control group. The results will be used to design a larger, multi-center phase III clinical trial. (Neurology)

A Social Media Presence for the 11th World Congress  
Feb. 1, 2013 - The International Neuromodulation Society has added an 11th World Congress "event" area to its Facebook page about the June 2013 meeting in Berlin that features a map of the meeting location at the Estrel Hotel, and provides an opportunity to share information, post a photo, video, or link, and network with upcoming attendees. (Facebook)

Researchers Consider Replacing Deep Brain Stimulation Leads with Micro Magnets
Feb. 1, 2013 - Preclinical brain stimulation magnetic implant research by International Medical Society member John T. Gale of the Cleveland Clinic and colleagues at Harvard Medical School was featured in a column based on their June 2012 publication in Nature Communications http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v3/n6/full/ncomms1914.html (Scientific American Mind)

University Interviews Site Principal Investigator on Video About Study of Deep Brain Stimulation in Mild Alzheimer's Disease
Jan. 31, 2013 - The University of Florida in Gainesville is participating in Functional Neuromodulation Inc.'s 20-patient study of deep brain stimulation in mild Alzheimer's disease, and posted a short video interview of site principal investigator Dr. Michael Okun discussing the study goal of trying to slow memory loss through neurostimulation to the fornix. (University of Florida)

Web-Enbabled Dosing and Compliance Monitoring Described for Next-Generation Vagus Nerve Stimulation
January 30, 2013 - An article about potential treatments for acute illnesses with ElectroCore, Medical LLC's non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation system describes a next-generation device that would be rechargeable and web-enabled to receive refills and to communicate compliance and outcome information to the company, prescribing physicians, and insurance providers. The charging station would resemble an iTunes model that is web-enabled to provide additional doses that are downloaded after physician authorization. "This is the first example of a web refill," said J.P. Errico, founder of the New Jersey-based company. He explained the device, which is CE marked in Europe, relies on proprietary waveform and delivery technology to stimulate the vagus nerve through the skin. The company began patient enrollment at 10 U.S. centers in January for randomized, sham-controlled trial of chronic migraine prevention. (Medical Device Daily)

Deep Brain Stimulation is Said to Create a Niche for Neurologists in the Operating Room and Clinic
Jan. 29, 2013 - Since fellowships will likely evolve to include other technologies, and other nervous system regions beyond typical deep brain stimulation therapy, Drs. Anhar Hassan and Michael Okun suggest in an article for residents and fellows that a more accurate term for this potential niche of specialization for neurologists may be electrical neuro-network modulation. (Neurology)

Author Describes Future Vision of Neural Network Modulation
Jan. 31, 2013 - In response to letters accepted for publication about his October 2012 article on deep brain stimulation, Michael S. Okun, MD, of the University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration described an anticipated future of electrical neural-network modulation with the use of more leads and more targets per patient, especially as new symptoms emerge across various disease states; real-time monitoring of the inherent electrical signatures of the brain; more access to patients' personal electrical settings, so they may be able to “tune themselves"; telemedicine to improve satisfaction and to alleviate access problems; and the potential of coupling deep-brain stimulation to other therapies (such as gene therapy, the use of neurotrophic factors, and stem-cell therapy). In addition, he foresees hardware will become smaller and neurostimulator placement in the chest (with connector wires) will disappear, while leads may be coated to lessen infection risk. (New England Journal of Medicine)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Compatible Spinal Cord Stimulation Systems Released in Europe
Jan. 30, 2013 - Medtronic, Inc. released in Europe the first spinal cord stimulation systems for use in treating chronic back and/or leg pain that are designed for compatibility with full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans under specific conditions. The devices recently received CE Mark approval. They include special leads that can withstand MRI scanning and a proprietary programming option, SureScan, which sets an appropriate mode for an MRI environment. International Neuromodulation Society member J.P. Van Buyten, MD, from the AZ Niklaas Hospital in Belgium, was quoted as calling the development an important advancement. (National Pain Report)

Final Two Weeks: INS 11th World Congress Abstracts are due Feb. 14, 2013
Jan. 30, 2013 - Only two weeks remain to submit abstracts to the International Neuromodulation Society's 11th World Congress in Berlin, Germany, the preeminent scientific conference that covers all aspects of neuromodulation.  Please view the preliminary program at http://bit.ly/INScongress and complete your submission through the abstract submission site at: http://ins-congress.abstractcentral.com/.

Retinal Implant Maker Eyes Raising More Capital
Jan. 29, 2013 - Second Sight Medical of Sylmar, Calif. registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday to raise $25 million while waiting for the FDA to decide whether to approve its retinal implant, Argus II, which has been sold in Europe since 2011. (MassDevice)

Chronic Pain is Called a Poorly Recognized Silent Epidemic
Jan. 29, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society president Simon Thomson, MBBS, FRCA, FIPP, FFPMRCA, commented in conjunction with release of a survey of more than 1,000 chronic pain sufferers across Europe, "The Painful Truth Survey: The State of Pain Management in Europe," sponsored by Boston Scientific and supported by a number of regional pain associations. He noted that healthcare systems throughout the world have not really produced specific answers to the needs of patients who suffer chronic pain that is not resolved by addressing any identifiable underlying condition. Some 17% of Europeans, he continued, will have significant chronic pain affecting daily living, with about 1/3 of those having pain that is really quite severe. About half suffer from neuropathic pain that arises spontaneously from damage to the nervous system. Of the patients whose neuropathic pain does not respond to pharmacological treatment, he said, spinal cord stimulation becomes an option, and has been advancing technologically since he first began using it slightly more than 20 years ago. (Boston Scientific)

Global Randomized Clinical Trial to Compare Medical Management With Or Without Spinal Cord Stimulation for Lower Back Pain
Jan. 28, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member Philippe Rigoard, M.D., is principal investigator of a global randomized clinical trial of patients with predominant low back pain due to failed back surgery syndrome. The study, sponsored by Medtronic, Inc., compares optimal medical management combined with use of a multicolumn, implantable lead for neurostimulation treatment  and optimal medical management alone. The first of up to 300 patients in the PROMISE trial began treatment in the U.S. earlier this month, and Dr. Rigoard started enrolling patients January 14 at Poitiers University Hospital in France. The study is designed to assess the value of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for predominant low back pain with leg pain. Previous studies focused on predominant leg pain. Health care utilization data will be collected to develop cost analysis models to potentially evaluate the long-term economic impact of SCS. (Yahoo Finance)

Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Be Investigated as Adjunct to Stroke Rehabilitation
Jan. 28, 2013 - Stroke researchers at Glagsow University are starting a clinical trial in which results of patients who receive vagus nerve stimulation during physiotherapy to improve arm movement will be compared to another group who receive stroke rehabilitation without the stimulation. The trail is using the Vivistim vagus nerve stimulation system being developed by Dallas-based Microtransponder Inc., which is sponsoring the study. (Herald Scotland)

German Team Reports Case of Deep Brain Stimulation Relieving Self-Injurious Behavior in a Patient with Autism
Jan. 25, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member Ali Rezai, MD, director of the Center for Neuromodulation at Wexner Medical Center in Ohio, was quoted as commenting on a published report about deep brain stimulation to the amygdaloid complex and supra-amygdaloid projection helping improve self-injurious behavior in an autistic patient whose case was reported in Frontiers in Neuroscience on Jan. 21. He was quoted as calling the patient's gains after 24 months "intriguing and promising". The authors report that the case supports a hypothesis about role of the amygdala, especially the basolateral part, in the pathogenesis of the condition. (Science News)

Signal Processing Expert Pursues Voice Analysis Project to Discern Indicators of Parkinson's Disease
Jan. 25, 2013 - An applied mathematician presents a concept-in-progress of using voice analysis to quickly and remotely spot potential signs of Parkinson's disease motor symptoms. The project director, Max Little, PhD, received his doctorate at the University of Oxford and became a Wellcome Trust/MIT fellow at the MIT Media Lab, where he applies his background in digital signal processing.  The work is based on a dataset of 10,000 voices voluntarily provided by callers over the telephone. (TED)

India Hospital Adds Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery Services
Jan. 24, 2013 - A Parkinson's disease patient is reported to be the first to receive deep brain stimulation treatment in Gujaret, India. One member of the Sterling Hospitals surgical team, Dr. Paresh Doshi, previously conducted stereotactic and functional neurosurgery in Mumbai. He was quoted as calling India "the most sought-after and cost effective medical tourism destination of the world," saying costs are about 15% that of North America and the U.K. (Times of Udaipur)

Hospital Begins Offering Sacral Nerve Stimulation Services for Pediatric Patients with Treatment-resistant Urinary and/or Bowel Incontinence
Jan. 24, 2013 - Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio now offers sacral nerve stimulation for the  a small percentage of children with chronic incontinence of the bowel, bladder, or both who do not respond to medication or behavioral modification. (News-Medical.net)

Physicians Report Neurostimulation-Induced Instances of Sustained Herion Abstinence
Jan. 22, 2013 - Physicians at the University of Cologne in Germany report on two cases from a pilot phase of a clinical trial, "Deep Brain Stimulation of the Nucleus Accumbens as a Novel Treatment in Severe Opioid Addiction (NASA)," in which deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens led to sustained abstinence from heroin in two patient who had therapy-resistant opioid addiction. The report presents findings observed over 12 months in one patient and 24 months in the other. (Molecular Psychiatry)

INS Website's List of Terminology Descriptions Grows
Jan. 24, 2013 - The latest addition to the International Neuromodulation Society's list of descriptions of terminology for use by patients or the general public is a brief overview about neuromodulation therapy. Since its inception one year ago -- through the efforts of the website's editorial contributors, the list of short explanations for treatment and condition terms has been viewed some 30,000 times by INS website visitors. (International Neuromodulation Society) 

Neuromodulation Startup Adds Board Member
Jan. 22, 2013 - Functional Neuromodulation, founded in Toronto in 2010, has added Vince Owens, former CEO and director of Intelect Medical, to its board of directors. Other board members are company co-founder and CEO Dan O’Connell; founding scientist Andres Lozano, MD, PhD; Kelly Holman, managing director of Genesys Capital; and Andrew D. Firlik, MD, managing partner at Foundation Medical Partners. Lothar Krinke, PhD, vice president and general manager of Medtronic’s Deep Brain Stimulation business serves as an active board observer. Dedicated to applying deep brain stimulation (DBS) to memory and other cognitive disorders, the company is conducting the ADvance Study in North America to evaluate DBS of the fornix, a major pathway in the brain’s memory circuit, for patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease. (BioSpace)

Brain Scan Study of Parkinson's Patients Shows Impact of Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation During Exercise
Jan. 22, 2013 - A positron-emission study of 12 Parkinson's disease patients at Hamamatsu University School of Medicine in Japan, published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, suggests beneficial effects of subthalamic nucleus stimulation in patients with Parkinson's disease are partly down to compensatory activation of non-motor dopamine pathways during exercise. (medwireNews)

Small-Business Grant Announced to Aid Deep Brain Stimulation System Programming for Parkinson's Disease
Jan. 22, 2013 - The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is funding a clinical feasibility study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham through a $283,828 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant to Cleveland, OH-based Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies to explore using intelligent algorithms to aid programming deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease. The system will leverage existing technology to quantify Parkinson’s motor symptoms such as tremor, bradykinesia, and dyskinesia into a functional map. Intelligent algorithms will determine optimal parameters for symptom relief while minimizing side effects and battery consumption. (News-Medical.Net)

Functional Neuromodulation System for Foot Drop Cleared for Use by Minors
Jan. 22, 2013 - Valencia, Calif.-based Bioness Inc. announced it has received FDA clearance to market to pediatric patients and their caregivers its L300 system to treat foot drop, a condition which causes walking difficulty in adults and children who have motor-impairment conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke or traumatic brain injury. The system consists of a small wireless sensor in the shoe, a sport brace-like leg cuff worn just below the knee, and a hand-held remote control. In addition to being used to assist walking, it can also be used for rehabilitation purposes. (Business Wire)

First Patient Receives Implant in U.S. Alzheimer's Disease Trial of Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery
Jan. 21, 2013 - The first U.S. patient has received a deep brain stimulation (DBS) implant in a clinical trial exploring DBS as a treatment option for early-state Alzheimer's disease according to an announcement by the Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center, which calls the neuromodulation team at Ohio State pioneers in the use of DBS to treat Parkinson’s disease, as well as exploring the use of DBS for other neurological and neurobehavioral conditions. (Wexner Medical Center - Ohio State University)

Israel-Based Company Eyes an Expanded Presence in U.S. Trading and Distribution
Jan. 21, 2013 - Brainsway Inc. of Israel expects to name a U.S. partner this quarter to distribute its noninvasive transcranial magnetic stimulation system for treatment-resistant depression, a technology it licensed from the National Institutes of Health. This step would precede seeking listing on the Nasdaq exchange, according to an article in Bloomberg BusinessWeek. (Bloomberg)

Comment Sought on Proposed Revisions of Implantable Device Review in Australia
January 2013 - Through March 15, the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia is seeking comment on proposed revisions to its premarket review process for medical devices, including subjecting surgically invasive and implantable systems designed for long-term use to the agency's mandatory application audit and easing its lower-risk device rules. (Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration)

Television Show Features Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery for Parkinson's Disease
Jan. 17, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member Brian Kopell, MD, was featured in a television segment about a patient's deep brain stimulation surgery for Parkinson's disease. Dr. Kopell likened it to receiving a brain pacemaker implant that could restore a more normal lifestyle, saying, "This is among the most technologically advanced surgeries that we do in medicine." (MYFOXNY)

Patent Application Proposes Smaller Pocket Controller for Neurostimulation Implant Patients' Use
January 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society members Michael Labbe and Jeff Gagnon are names as inventors on a patent application that was cleared for further review on Jan. 10, 2013. Also named as inventors were Steven E. Wilder and Ben Cottrill. Aside from turning on or adjusting neurostimulation to an implant, the application states, few patients use advanced controls to adjust program frequency and individual pulse/area stimulation features such as pulse width. Since hand-held controllers are slightly large for readily carrying in a pocket, the application proposes creation of a smaller pocket controller to provide the main options while a patient is on the go, along with an integrated controller-charger and charging module as part of the set. The patent is assigned to Greatbatch, Inc. (Equities.com)

Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery for One Patient is Described in Article for Alzheimer's Research Audience
Jan. 13, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member Antonio De Salles, MD, PhD, who directs the Stereotactic Surgery program at the University of California, Los Angeles, is profiled in a detailed description of a patient undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for Parkinson's disease. The article also summarizes recent research into DBS as a potential intervention in early-stage Alzheimer's disease.  (Alzheimer Research Forum)

Feasibility Study Shows Telepresence Robot Can Aid Neuromodulation Programming Sessions
Jan. 16, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member Ivar Mendez, MD, PhD was featured in an article about a feasibility study showing that neuromodulation device programming can be guided remotely by an expert using a telepresence robot with a digital camera, microphones, and laptop interface, as well as an arm that can remotely indicate which buttons to push on the programming screen. A preliminary study he led showed no significant difference in accuracy or clinical outcomes between 10 programming sessions carried out remotely and 10 performed by an expert in person. (Medical Xpress)

French Agency Seeks Input Prior to Updating Reimbursement of Neurostimulation Devices for Chronic Pain
January 16, 2013 - At the request of the Ministry of Health, France's cost containment agency (HAS) will publish a notice for public comment seeking input from all stakeholders including patients on an updated reimbursement list for neurostimulation devices, based on an assessment of each device’s effectiveness and the value of its therapeutic indications. HAS is undertaking a health technology assessment review of all implantable spinal neurostimulation devices, whether rechargeable or not, that are intended for the treatment of chronic pain and on the list of Reimbursable Products and Services. (Regulatory Focus)

Dutch Ministry of Health to Establish Device Registry to Track Complications
January 2013 - The Dutch Ministry of Health plans a national registry for patients who have received medical implants. In it, suppliers, producers, and insurance companies will be required to provide information on any device complications. (Dutch News via The Commonwealth Fund)

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Yielded Improvements in Depression Scores in Small Italian Study
Jan. 8, 2013 - A study of six patients with treatment-resistant depression who received vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) was published by the Departments of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan. The patients were followed for at least 12 months. After three months, the patients showed statistically significant improvements in depression scores, and after 12 months, they also showed improvements in depression rating scales as well as in clinical global impression. Also, the patients showed an overall favorable tolerability to the VNS implant. (The Journal of ECT)

Analysis Estimates a $6.8 Billion Market for Neuromodulation in 2017
Jan. 14, 2013 - The U.S.-based firm Marketsandmarkets forecasts the global neuromodulation market will reach  $6.8 billion by 2017. Vagus nerve stimulation is expected to see the most growth due to being less invasive and with more development of applications anticipated. The key factors that drive the neuromodulation market are higher incidences of endemic diseases, rise in aging population, technological advancement, devices under approval, and presence of several niche players. Reimbursement in certain geographies and cost of devices are major challenges. North America is estimated to account for the maximum share of the neuromodulation market in 2012, followed by Europe, and Asia-Pacific countries like Japan, India, and China. (PR Newswire)

New Device Rules Reported to Take Effect This Month in Russia
Jan. 11, 2013 - Revised regulations regarding medical device clearances in Russia reportedly took effect Jan. 1, 2013. It was previously reported that some of the anticipated changes were that final approval decisions will be made by “expert reviewers” rather than the regulator (Federal Service on Surveillance in Healthcare and Social Development of the Russian Federation, or Roszdravnadzor); there was an apparent lack of timelines for medical testing, meaning they could last for years; and medical device registration fees would be written into law. One anticipated change could mean expert reviewers would determine whether additional clinical testing of a device is necessary and provide a list of hospitals where that should occur. A registration certificate would be issued to an applicant based on a positive expert review, or a refusal would be based on a negative expert review. (Mass Device)

Brazilian Team Publishes Protocol for Randomized Trial of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Organ Donors
Jan. 11, 2013 - Hypothesizing that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in kidney donors may aid postoperative pain relief, pulmonary function and mobility, a research team at the
Physical Therapy Department, University of the City of Sao Paulo in Brazil has published a protocol for a prospective, randomized trial using sham or active TENS in 74 patients. The trial is registered under the Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clinicos (ReBEC), number RBR-8xtkjp. (BMC Nephrology)

Israel Company Announces Its Noninvasive Depression Treatment Device is Cleared by FDA
Jan. 9, 2013 - Brainsway Ltd. announced it has obtained FDA approval for its deep transcranial magnetic stimulation device to treat depression in patients who fail to respond to therapeutics during a depression cycle. (Globes)

University Announces Grant for Brain Stimulation Research Laboratory
January 2013 - Iowa State University will receive $395,280, to establish a laboratory for brain stimulation research, from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust of Muscatine, Iowa. One of the goals is to find noninvasive methods of stimulating deep-lying regions of the brain to potentially treat a wide range of issues – from concussion, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, to degenerative issues such as Parkinson’s disease and stroke. (Iowa State University Foundation)

Neuromodulation, Emerging Markets, May Contribute to Device-Maker's Bottom Line
Jan. 8, 2013 - Medtronic expects stronger performance in areas like neuromodulation to lift overall corporate growth. In comments Monday at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, Chief Executive Omar Ishrak also said that the countries outside of China, such as India in particular, but also Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America, all would be expected to be big growth engines. (Fox Business)

Newspaper Recounts Woman's Attempt to Get Health Care Coverage for Gastric Stimulation
Dec. 28, 2012 - A woman whose gastroparesis prevents her from eating solid food believes controlling the condition using neurostimulation would be more cost-effective than her repeated hospitalizations, but has been turned down for an implant by the National Health Service in West Sussex after a panel of four consultants, three general practitioners and two lay people felt there was not sufficient evidence the requested treatment would be effective for her. (Crowley and Horley Observer)

Some 1,500 Attendees Expected at INS 11th World Congress in June in Berlin
Jan. 9, 2013 - More than 1,500 attendees are expected at the INS 11th World Congress in Berlin in June that centers on all aspects of development of therapeutic applications of neuromodulation. (Newswise)

Smart Phone Interface Technology Presented for Controlling TENS
Jan. 9, 2013 - The Consumer Electronics Show included what was presented as a certified transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation medical product by China-based E-Tek that uses an iPhone interface, according to a blog covering the event. (9to5Mac)

External Peripheral Nerve Stimulator to Initially Target Post-Stroke Shoulder Pain
Jan. 8, 2013 - SPR Therapeutics expects CE mark certification for its Smartpatch peripheral nerve stimulator to be announced shortly, according to published comments by the chief executive officer of the Cleveland-based company. Also, the company plans clinical trials at six U.S. centers in the next few months, initially targeting post-stroke shoulder pain. Finally, the company was reported to have raised an additional $2.8 million in financing, bringing the total to $5 million from NDI Healthcare Fund, Public Square Partners and individual investors. (MedCity News)

Market Study Projects Neuromodulation Growth to $12.45 billion by 2023
Jan. 8, 2013 - London-based Visiongain predicts a $12.45 billion global market for neuromodulation devices by 2023, with sales of $3.03 billion in 2011. Hemant Mistry, healthcare industry analyst, says, "The neuromodulation device market has experienced substantial growth in recent years, as their benefits in cost saving particularly have become more evident. Such devices can not only provide long-term relief to patients, but can also offer an effective alternative to the use of drugs that are well-known to have side effects . . . (although the initial cost of the device and surgery to implant the device is high, their prescription is cost-effective in the long-term). With future developments in the pipeline such as phrenic nerve and gastric stimulators . . . the market for neuromodulation devices has significant potential to grow in the future". (PR Newswire)

The INS 11th World Congress Abstract Deadline is Now Feb. 14, 2013
Jan. 8, 2013 - The INS 11th World Congress that takes place June 8 - 13 in Berlin, "Neuromodulation: Technology Transforming Chronic Illness Management," is extending the abstract submission deadline by one month to 14 February 2013. This final deadline will have no further extensions. (INS)

Winter INS Newsletter Informs Members About Chapter Activities Worldwide
Jan. 8, 2013 - The winter newsletter of the INS is now online, featuring a president's message, updates, and annual chapter recaps, including news that Japan now covers the cost of deep brain stimulation and spinal cord stimulation procedures. (INS)

INS and Touch Medical Media Partner to Publicize Neuromodulation Research
Jan. 8, 2013 - INS is entering into a media partnership with Touch Medical Media, which publishes the European Neurological Review. INS may distribute information to members from them later, and the organization will also list the INS logo, contact information, and link on its website, www.neurology.com. (INS)

Pain Intensity Study Points to Role of Secondary Somatosensory Cortex in Perception of Nociception
Jan. 7, 2013 - Researchers at the University College London report on a study that suggests the secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) plays a causal role for encoding pain intensity. They applied single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the contralateral S2 120 milliseconds  after a painful stimulus was delivered to nociceptive afferents using neodymium:yttrium–aluminium–perovskite (Nd:YAP) laser pulses. Compared to other areas receiving TMS stimulation during the trial, when S2 was stimulated, study subjects perceived the pain as less intense. (Cortex)

University of Minnesota to Seek Research Investment in Neuromodulation
January 2013 - In recent years, the University of Minnesota has been ramping up its investment in neuromodulation, noting that the state is already home to market leader Medtronic, Inc., and total sales from neuromodulation are expected to rise to nearly $15 billion worldwide within five or six years. With proper investment, the university's alumni publication states, Minnesota could find itself at the forefront of that growth. (University of Minnesota)

Sacral Nerve Stimulation Retrospective Analysis: Spot Lead Failures by Checking Impedance
Jan. 1, 2013 - Measuring impedance in office follow-up visits can help to spot if effectiveness is hampered not by lead position, but instead by open- or short-circuit failures in sacral nerve stimulation implants, according to research presented at the 2012 American Urological Association meeting by medical researchers at Case Western Reserve University. (Urology Times via Modern Medicine)

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy Developer Adds Industry Veteran to Its Board
Jan. 4, 2013 - The co-founder and former CEO of Cyberonics, Inc., Reese Terry, has joined the board of directors of ElectroCore, which is developing non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation therapies for serious headache conditions and bronchoconstriction. (PR Newswire)

Newspaper Covers Early Report of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Migraine
Jan. 4, 2013 - The Daily Mail reports on an early-stage study of transcranial direct current stimulation in 13 migraineurs, led by an assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. After four weeks of repeated sessions of stimulation to the motor cortex, the subjects' average pain threshold increased 37%, according to the report of the study published in the journal Headache. Computational modeling by the collaborators indicated deeper brain structures were also affected by the stimulation. (Daily Mail)

Financing Proceeds for Company Eying U.S. Trial to Treat Gastroesophageal Reflux
Jan. 3, 2013 - EndoStim Inc. of St. Louis, Mo. is reportedly two-thirds of its way through a round of raising $12 million in financing. The company has CE mark approval for its implantable electrical stimulation device that is designed to strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter muscle in cases of severe acid reflux. Following its European approval in August, the company is preparing for a U.S. clinical trial, which may start in late 2013. The company is reportedly planning to also develop neurostimulation devices to treat urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction. (MedCity News)

Upcoming Neuromodulation Market Report Predicts Continued Growth
Jan. 3, 2013 - The growth in emerging markets such as India and China will be driven by an aging population that will increase demand for newer treatment options for age-related diseases, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) for motor disorders, according to a market report being published next month by Visiongain. The report, for instance, anticipates the DBS market will almost
double in value, reaching $0.85 billion in 2017, with a compound annual growth rate of 11.2%. (Visiongain)

Article Features High-Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation Trial for Back Pain
Jan. 2, 2013 - In an interview about the Nevro SENZA high-frequency spinal cord stimulation system, International Neuromodulation Society member Adnan Al-Kaisy, MB ChB FRCA, said back-pain patients accepted into a clinical trial of the system at Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital in London first participate in a residential program that involves cognitive behavior therapy, relaxation and learning to reduce their pain medication. The article notes that 100 patients have been implanted there with the system to date. (Daily Mail)

To see select neuromodulation news by category, as well as news about the INS in particular, please visit the Newsroom. To see archived news briefs dating back to January 2011, visit the News Archive.

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Medical Professionals can learn about various considerations concerning neuromodulation and clinic contacts. Once your preliminary questions have been answered, please use the Contact Us facility to find out more and to discuss specific objectives. Others may simply wish to join the INS and one of its related chapter societies, please use Membership Application.

Clinical trials that involve a wide range of emerging neuromodulation approaches are listed on our Resources and Research pages. Neuromodulator trials address symptom control through nerve stimulation in such condition categories as:

• Chronic pain
• Movement disorders
• Epilepsy
• Psychiatric disorders
• Stroke and brain injury
• Cardiovascular disorders
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Genitourinary and colorectal disorders
• Sensory deficits
  

If you are not a medical professional and you are searching for information about neuromodulation and how these types of treatment could benefit a specific condition such as treatment-resistant headache or other chronic pain syndromes, you may find the sections titled Therapies, About Neuromodulation or FAQs particularly helpful.

The International Neuromodulation Society (INS) is a non-profit group of clinicians, scientists and engineers dedicated to the scientific
development and awareness of neuromodulation - the alteration of nerve activity through the delivery of electrical stimulation or chemical agents to targeted sites of the body. Founded in 1989 and based in San Francisco, CA, the INS educates and promotes the field through meetings,  its bimonthly, peer-reviewed journal Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, explanatory content, and chapter websites.

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