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Emerging Therapies & Diagnostic Tools News Feed
External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation Study Results ReportedMay 20, 2013 - Twenty children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder saw mean improvements of more than 45 percent after eight weeks of external trigeminal nerve stimulation in a clinical trial that was reported Monday at the American Psychiatric Association Meeting in San Francisco. (PR Newswire)
University of Oxford Research Looks at Learning Effects of Transcranial Random-Noise StimulationMay 16, 2013 - Transcranial random-noise stimulation can induce long-term enhancement of cognitive and brain functions, according to research published in Current Biology that shows students who received the stimulation while practicing math problems remained quicker than a control group at similar problems six months later. (Nature) Mood Effects of Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation ReportedMay 16, 2013 - In a pilot study http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2012.05.002 of volunteers with chronic pain, researchers found that transcranial ultrasound stimulation improved mood, possibly due to "tuning" microtubules that grow and extend neurons and form and regulate synapses. The researchers who published the results in Brain Stimulation plan to study the effect in traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease and post-traumatic stress disorder. (Medical Xpress) Patient Discovers Benefits of Spinal Cord Stimulation for Intractable PainMay 14, 2013 - In an interview in the Daily Express about a patient's success using a rechargeable spinal cord stimulator (SCS), International Neuromodulation Society President Simon Thomson, MD, points out that studies show SCS systems recoup their costs in 1 - 3 years due to due to a reduction in spending on drugs and repeat hospitalization. His patient found relief from SCS for her chronic back pain after relying on medications proved inadequate and risky over the long term. (Daily Express)
Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface Publishes Results of Pain Study Investigating Dorsal Root Ganglion StimulationMay 14, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member Liong Liem, MD, PhD, was quoted along with co-author Frank Huygen, MD, PhD about their study published yesterday in Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface regarding pain relief from neurostimulation of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). The six-month study of 32 patients suffering from long-term nerve damage following surgery (chronic post surgical pain), complex regional pain syndrome, amputation pain, or failed back surgery syndrome showed that 70% of patients suffering from leg pain and 89% of patients suffering from foot pain reported clinically significant pain relief. The multi-center study examined the Axium spinal cord stimulation system by Spinal Modulation, which is available in Europe and Australia. (Wall Street Journal)
May 10, 2013 -- A study published in the Journal of Urology shows that most overactive bladder patients who responded to 12 weekly percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation treatments safely sustained symptom improvement over three years with an average of one treatment per month. After a 14-week treatment tapering protocol, 29 patients completed the 36-month continuing treatment. (Market Watch)
Mass-Market Publication Mentions Deep Brain Stimulation for PainMay 10, 2013 - A health column about emerging uses of deep brain stimulation (DBS) mentions Prof. Tipu Aziz of the University of Oxford, who has been investigating DBS in chronic pain. (Daily Mirror) Review: Neuromodulation Offers Potential to Manage Chronic Pelvic Pain in MenMay 10, 2013 - A review of neuromodulation (sacral nerve stimulation and percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation) in chronic pelvic pain in men (chronic prostatitis) concludes "at least a subset of patients in most of the published studies and case series derive some benefit in the short term and limited evidence suggests that long-term improvement of symptoms is possible." (Uro Today -- requires free registration)
News Report Describes Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery for Parkinsonian SyndromeMay 6, 2013 - A woman who was living with stiffness and tremors after an accident received deep bain stimulation (DBS) surgery to try to control her motor symptoms. Her neurologist plans to publish the case describing this use of DBS in Parkinsonism. (CINewsNow) Varied Response to Motor Cortex Stimulation Examined in Brain MappingMay 1, 2013 - In motor disorders such as Parkinson's disease, oscillatory activity at beta frequency is elevated, and is modulated during the generation of movements. Continuous theta burst stimulation using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can inhibit motor activity for up to an hour, but the neuroplastic effects are highly variable between individuals. Brain mapping of 16 healthy research subjects with magnetoencephalography suggests the observed variability may relate to GABAergic mechanisms that govern the presence of oscillatory beta activity in the motor system. (Journal of Neuroscience) Study Shows Subthalamic Nuceus Stimulation Impacts Metabolic StateApril 30, 2013 - A study of a nonmotor impact of deep brain stimulation to the subthalamic nucleus in patients with Parkinson's disease showed on-stimulation decreases endogenous glucose production by 22% compared to off-stimulation or controls, without altering whole body glucose disposal, suggesting that cross-talk between the central nervous system and peripheral tissues may regulate glucose homeostasis. (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism)
May 1, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society member William Newton, DO, became the first physician in his state to implant a next-generation, 32-contact spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system for chronic pain of the trunk and/or limbs, according to a news report. He commented that many patients cycle through various therapies before trying SCS since it can be hard to treat, so encourages people living with chronic spine pain to talk to their physician and see if the treatment might be appropriate for them. (WGNS)
East Anglia Patient Interviewed about Receiving New MRI-Compatible Spinal Cord Stimulation ImplantApril 27, 2013 - International Neuromodulation Society Member Mike Sidery, BSc, MB BChir, MA, PhD, called a spinal cord stimulation system that provides MRI compatibility reassuring for patients. His patient who received an implant to control her leg pain was interviewed about her new implant. A chronic pain patient since 2010, she said she previously had MRI scans to try to find the cause of her leg pain. She was said to be one of the first patients in Britain to receive this system. (Norfolk Eastern Daily Press)
April 23, 2013 - Mice receiving deep brain stimulation to the nucleus accumbens consumed less high-fat food compared to controls according to a paper published in the Journal of Neuroscience. At the same time, similar stimulation to obese mice resulted in less calorie consumption, a loss of body weight, and improved glucose sensitivity -- suggestive of a reversal of type 2 diabetes. (University of Pennsylvania) Deep Brain Stimulation Investigator Describes Therapeutic Opportunity to Tune Brain Circuits April 23, 2013 - During a visit to Houston, pioneering neurologist Dr. Helen Mayberg discussed deep brain stimulation, saying the brain "works as ensembles, like an orchestra, with coordinated interactions among different areas for different functions. Identifying circuits and using electricity to tune them - the brain uses electricity to communicate - is attractive because while it's brain surgery, tuning the brain is not permanent; it's reversible. You can try a setting, and if it doesn't work, you can turn it off. You can remove the electrodes and it doesn't generally damage the brain." (Houston Chronicle)
April 2013 - Neurotech Reports, the publisher of Neurotech Business Report, will publish the 2013 Directory of Neuromodulation Products later this year. The print directory will be given to each attendee at the 11th World Congress of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS), which takes place June 8-13, in Berlin, Germany, and attracts more than 1,500 clinicians, engineers, researchers and entrepreneurs to hear an internationally renowned faculty address the most comprehensive breadth of all neuromodulation therapies. For more information, contact Neurotech Reports at 415 546 1259 or visit this link: http://www.neurotechreports.com/pages/2013_Directory_Neuromodulation_Products.html (Neurotech Reports)
Study: Spinal Cord Stimulation to the Cervical Spine Relieved Pain for Majority of PatientsApril 2013 - An observational study, presented by International Neuromodulation Society President-Elect Dr. Tim Deer at the 2012 annual meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society, supports the use of spinal cord stimulation in the cervical spine for chronic pain. The study, part of an ongoing 40-center registry study supported by a research grant from St. Jude Medical, tracked 38 patients for at least three months and found that most reported their pain relief as being excellent or good. (Pain Medicine) Authors Present Benefits of Early Neurostimulation in Parkinson's DiseaseApril 16, 2013 - Drs. Suneil K. Kalia and Andres M. Lozano of Western Hospital in Toronto have published an opinion article describing benefits of early neurostimulation in Parkinson's disease. (Nature Reviews Neurology)
Cigarette Craving Temporarily Reduced in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation StudyApril 16, 2013 - A dose of transcranial magnetic stimulation was shown to temporarily reduce nicotine craving in in smokers in a sham-controlled trial by a team at the Medical University of South Carolina, published in Biological Psychiatry. The stimulation focused on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region linked with cue-related behavior, such as the sight of a cigarette triggering a craving. (Wired.co.uk) Florida Analysis Shows Sacral Neuromodulation Procedures are Increasing Although Regional Rates VaryApril 16, 2013 - Analyzing ambulatory surgery data from 2002 - 2009 in Florida shows that rates of sacral nerve stimulation increased significantly, but rates were variable by region, according to a report by members of the departments of Urology and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan. The most common indication was overactive bladder. The authors speculate the range in practice patterns may reflect medical uncertainty about the role of the procedure. (Surgical Innovation) Two-Year Follow-up Shows Patients With Neurogenic Diagnoses Still Benefited from Sacral NeuromodulationApril 15, 2013 - Looking at outcomes of sacral neuromodulation in 332 patients, 71 of whom had a co-morbid neurologic disorder, follow-up over two years showed that patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction experienced benefits after neuromodulation similar to the benefits experienced by those without coexisting neurologic conditions, according to a study in Urology. (Urology)
Physicians in Colombia Receive Spinal Cord Stimulation TrainingApril 15, 2013 - An interview with a chronic pain patient mentions that International Neuromodulation Society member Carlos Viesca, M.D. recently returned from providing spinal cord stimulation training to 200 anesthesiologists and neurosurgeons in three cities in Colombia. (El Paso Times) Study Examines Role of Deep Brain Stimulation in Gait and Multi-TaskingApril 15, 2013 - Since the ability to walk while dual-tasking has been related to fall risk, researchers examined attention, executive function, and gait in 28 patients with advanced Parkinson's disease with bilateral sub-thalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation on and off, both with and without medication. The stimulation improved motor symptoms, certain features of gait and attention, but not executive function. However, stimulation apparently failed to reduce the negative impact of a dual task on walking abilities. (Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation)
Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease is Called Cost-Effective for the German Healthcare SystemApril 10, 2013 - In a study supported by the German Ministry of Education and Research, a team of journal co-authors from institutions in Austria and Germany, as well as Harvard Medical School, provide a lifetime statistical analysis of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease that supports adopting and reimbursing DBS within the German health care system. They conclude DBS can be considered cost-effective, offering a value-for-money profile comparable to other well-accepted health care technologies. The lifetime incremental cost-utility ratio for deep brain stimulation was €6700 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and €9800 and €2500 per United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part II (motor experiences of daily living) and part III (motor examination) score point gained, respectively. Deep brain stimulation costs were mainly driven by the cost of surgery and of battery exchange. (Movement Disorders) Bonn Researchers Report a Positive Pilot Study with New Stimulation Target for Major Depressive DisorderApril 10, 2013 - Professors at Bonn University Hospital report on seeing improvements within days in major depression symptoms in six of seven patients treated with bilateral deep brain stimulation to a relatively novel target, the supero-lateral branch of the medial forebrain bundle, a structure that runs from the limbic system to the prefrontal cortex. They report that a high proportion of responders needed lower stimulation intensities than seen in previous studies. Their pilot study appeared in Biological Psychiatry online April 5. (Gizmag)
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Shows Effect in Focal DystroniaApril 9, 2013 - In a study in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience of 17 people with focal hand dystonia, 68% reported that their symptoms improved after 5 daily sessions of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and 58% said their symptoms were better 10 days post-treatment. The stimulation was given while patients performed writing movements that did not trigger their dystonic symptoms. Although handwriting was not improved at a 10-day follow up, three patients contacted the investigators for additional treatment, indicating that they felt their symptoms had improved for several months. (Medical Xpress) Vagus Nerve Stimulation Research into Appetite Control Receives SupportApril 9, 2013 - Researchers at Imperial College London have received $9 million from the European Research Council to support development of a potential treatment option for obesity. The researchers' investigative device uses a nerve cuff electrode to target the branch of the vagus that ennervates the gut. The controller is intended to read conditions in the stomach and provide signals of satiety to the brain with proper stimulation. (Medical Xpress)
Modeling Shows Major Effect of Slight Changes in Location of Deep Brain Stimulation April 6, 2013 - In a patient receiving deep brain stimulation of the subcallosal cingulate white matter -- as an investigative treatment for major depressive disorder -- a model of pathways that may mediate the effect predicts stimulation effects, and suggests, based on different simulated activation patterns from four different electoral contacts, that small differences in location can generate substantial differences in the directly activated pathways. The new tool, a tractography-activation model (TAM), combines imaging data, electric field modeling of stimulation parameters, and activation pathway prediction. In part, the TAM predictions are suggested by cable models of different axon states. (Brain Stimulation) Researchers Raise Considerations Regarding Motor Cortex Stimulation for Stroke RehabilitationApril 4, 2013 - Researchers in New Zealand and Australia report on a model of stroke rehabilitation in which the importance of control exerted by the motor cortex on the opposite side of the body suggests that careful consideration be given to using noninvasive brain stimulation to suppress the motor cortex there. They conclude that neurophysiological, neuroimaging, and clinical assessments can facilitate the best use of noninvasive brain stimulation in a stroke rehabilitation setting. (Frontiers in Neuroscience) Study: Deep Brain Stimulation Should Be Offered to Early Stage Parkinson's Disease Patients -- with Some CaveatsApril 4, 2013 - A brief article about the EARLYSTIM trial, reported in the Feb. 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, notes that the randomized trial of 251 patients who were followed over two years in European centers shows an overall benefit in the group that received neurostimulation rather than medical treatment alone, although there were more frequent adverse events in the group that received deep brain stimulation. For instance, major depression occurred more often, although there was an overall improvement in mood by the end of the trial. (Neurology Today)
April 5, 2013 - A local television station reports about a man whose Parkinson's disease improved after he received a deep brain stimulation system. Three years after the implant, he is helping to raise awareness in support of fundraising events of the Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas chapter of the National Parkinson Foundation. (KPLC) Mississippi Site Starts Enrolling Back Pain Patients in Clinical TrialApril 5, 2013 - PROMISE is a prospective randomized clinical trial to compare the outcomes of using optimal medical management for predominant low back pain alone, or with multicolumn implantable lead stimulation. The multi center trial is now enrolling patients at the Singing River Health System Neuroscience Center, one of up to 30 centers in the U.S., Canada and Europe participating in the Medtronic, Inc.-sponsored study. The study seeks participants who have persistent or recurring pain in the back and/or legs following one or more spine surgeries. (Mississippi Press)
April 4, 2013 - The prelimbic region of the prefrontal cortex plays a central role in compulsive cocaine addiction, according to preclinical optogenetics research in the journal Nature. Researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine introduced light-sensitive proteins in rat neural cells in that brain region, and introduced light there through fiber optics to increase or inhibit neural activity. Activating the neurons eliminated the compulsive behavior displayed by some of the rats in the study, and inhibiting neural activity in that region triggered compulsive cocaine-seeking behavior in the non-addicted rats. (UCSF)
U.S. BRAIN Initiative Would Create a Dynamic Map of Brain ActivityApril 2, 2013 - U.S. President Barrack Obama unveiled a proposed $100 million initiative, Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN), that is intended to show how individual cells and complex neural circuits interact in both time and space. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is establishing a high-level working group to help articulate scientific goals and develop a multi-year plan with timetables, milestones, and cost estimates. Input will be sought from the scientific community, patient advocates, and general public. By fall 2013 the working group should have specific recommendations on investments for fiscal year 2014, with a final report due to the NIH director in June 2014. NIH is working closely with other government agencies, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Science Foundation. Private foundations have expressed interest and support, including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Allen Institute for Brain Science, The Kavli Foundation, and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Private industries are also interested in becoming involved. The NIH enterprise-wide Blueprint for Neuroscience Research will lead planning contributions, and published an NIH toolbox for such assessments as pain, cognition, and movement disorder in the March 12, 2013 issue of Neurology. (NIH)
Grant Supports Early Stage Research in Deeply Targeting Transcranial Magnetic StimulationApril 1, 2013 - The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust is giving $395,280 to Iowa State University to support research into directing transcranial magnetic stimulation into deep brain areas as a potential non-invasive treatment of such disorders as Parkinson's disease. Engineering and veterinary faculty are teaming to carry out the research in mice. (Iowa State University) Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Bears Careful Consideration, Magazine Writer ConcludesApril 1, 2013 - A balanced approach seems best in researching the pros and cons of potentially using technology -- such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) -- to enhance human performance, a writer concludes after conducting a number of interviews over the course of a two-month series about various potential types of human enhancement. Besides its being explored to treat severe depression or aid rehabilitation from stroke, the article notes, there has been research interest in the potential of tDCS to enhance learning of cognitive tasks or performance in training exercises. (Slate)
Vagus Nerve Stimulation System for Weight Control Would Include a Smart SensorApril 1, 2013 - Researchers at Imperial College London are developing a "smart" microchip to modulate sensations of appetite through sensing and stimulation at the vagus nerve. Earlier, the team developed a similar device that targets the vagus nerve to reduce epileptic seizures. Existing devices that target the vagus nerve to reduce food consumption are EnteroMedics' VBloc device and the Abiliti device by IntraPace. The latest device may be ready for human trials within three years. (Inland News Today) Deep Brain Stimulation Capability Comes to Abu DhabiMarch 31, 2013 - Abu Dhabi now has a deep brain stimulation (DBS) service at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. The new service is unfamiliar to insurance companies, says Maher Mansour, MD, a consultant neurosurgeon at the facility. However, nationals of Abu Dhabi do receive partial coverage from the national medical coverage program. In a related article, the mother of a patient who acquired dystonia following a brain injury expressed gratitude for access to DBS surgery there. (The National)
March 28, 2013 - A neurosurgical navigation platform that permits deep brain stimulation surgery under general anesthesia, the ClearPoint® Neuro Intervention System by MRI Interventions, Inc. was featured on the Fox News Health website about MRI-guided brain surgery being easier on Parkinson's patients. (Daily Markets) Two Alzheimer's Patients Have Received Deep Brain Stimulation Systems as Part of StudyMarch 28, 2013 - Two women have been implanted with deep brain stimulation systems as part of a 10-person study at The Ohio State University to explore whether the stimulation has protective effects in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The first patient has completed 12 weeks of stimulation. The study will examine the impact of stimulation over time on thinking, focus and alertness. (HealthDay)
March 23, 2013 - A team of researchers at INSERM and the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire in Rennes, France report on their model of a brain network that includes the biophysical effects of direct stimulation, based on EEG data from a patient with drug-resistant epilepsy and a focal cortical dysplasia. The dysplasia responds to either high- or low-frequency deep brain stimulation, but not intermediate-frequency. In the model, it appeared the frequency-dependent response could be explained by: a) feed-forward inhibition and synaptic short-term depression of thalamocortical connections at low-frequency stimulation, and b) inhibition of the thalamic output at high-frequency stimulation. (Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience)
March 26, 2013 - The FDA has approved BioControl Medical's third and largest phase of the clinical trial of its vagus nerve stimulator CardioFit® in heart failure. INOVATE-HF (INcrease Of VAgal TonE in Heart Failure) is a global, multi-center, investigational device exemption (IDE) clinical study of the company’s CardioFit® system for heart failure. The approval, which is based on the FDA’s safety review of the first two successful completed phases, allows unconditional study expansion to full enrollment of 650 patients at 80 centers worldwide. (Business Wire) Case Series Indicates Relative Effectiveness of Retrograde Spinal Cord Stimulation in Failed Back Surgery Syndrome and Perineal PainMarch 2013 - Retrograde neuromodulation -- spinal cord stimulation directed toward the sacrum -- appeared effective in patients who had a well-localized pain and clear dermatome distribution, according to a series of 10 patients at the University General Hospital of Valencia in Spain, in which seven of 10 patients had effective stimulation. Retrograde neuromodulation appeared most effective in radiculopathy related to failed back surgery syndrome, and of limited effectiveness in treating perineal pain. (Pain Physician)
Start-up to Present Results of External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation in Refractory EpilepsyMarch 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 StimulationMarch 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)
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 DiscussedMarch 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)
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 OperationMarch 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 MeetingMarch 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.
U.S. Army is Collaborating on Neurostimulation Device Worn on the Tongue During Rehabilitation ActivitiesMarch 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 TargetMarch 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 NervosaMarch 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 NeurosurgeryMarch 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 ConcentrationMarch 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)
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)
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)
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 ImplantedFeb. 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 BenefitFeb. 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)
External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation Study Author Notes Effects on Seizures, MoodFeb. 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 ReliefFeb. 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" TreatmentFeb. 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 StudyFeb. 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)
Advisory Panel Supports FDA Approval of Closed-Loop Neurostimulator for EpilepsyFeb. 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 DisorderFeb. 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 AnginaFeb. 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)
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)
International Neuromodulation Society Member is a Key Figure in Proposed U.S. Brain Activity Map (BAM) ProjectFeb. 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)
Researcher Describes Plans to Implant Prosthetic Hand Controlled by ThoughtFeb. 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 TremorFeb. 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)
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 PainFeb. 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 DiseaseFeb. 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)
Feb. 14, 2013 - In a two-year study http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00354133, 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)
Authors Report 12 Years of Experience With Deep Brain Stimulation for Neuropathic PainFeb. 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 DiseaseFeb. 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 TherapyFeb. 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 EpilepsyFeb. 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 PublishedFeb. 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)
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)
Author Describes Future Vision of Neural Network ModulationJan. 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)
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)
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 DiseaseJan. 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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 WorldwideJan. 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 ResearchJan. 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 NociceptionJan. 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 NeuromodulationJanuary 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)
Newspaper Covers Early Report of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in MigraineJan. 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)
Patent Envisions Weight Loss Through Stimulating Heat-Generating Fatty Tissue ActivityDec. 25, 2012 - A U.S. patent assigned to the Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, Inc. successor St. Judge Medical Inc. involves methods for placing an electrode for stimulating a sympathetic nerve for the purpose of inducing weight loss by targeting stimulation to a splanchnic nerve and/or on the sympathetic chain in the chest cavity, guided by imaging brown adipose tissue, which is metabolized to generate body heat. The disclosure suggests an approach might involve stimulating the medullary raphe OFF cells that activate brown adipose tissue and/or blocking the raphe palladus cells. This can be facilitated by deep brain stimulation with a number of unique electrodes, or a single programmable electrode array. (Equities.com) Patent Issued for Neuromodulation Targets in Cervical or Cranial AreaDec. 25, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Peter Lando, Tracy Cameron, PhD, and Rohan Hoare are among inventors named in a newly issued U.S. patent. Assigned to Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, Inc. (now St. Jude Medical Inc.), the invention concerns modulating neuronal tissue in the C2/C3 dermatome area, or stimulating cervical nerve roots and/or cranial nerves to potential treat a broad range of pain conditions, motor or other neurological disorders, psychiatric conditions, gastric conditions, chronic immune- or endocrine-related conditions, or improve cardiac function. (Equities.com) Obesity Therapy Concept Receives U.S. PatentDec. 25, 2012 - The U.S. Patent Office issued a patent assigned to Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, Inc. (now St. Jude Medical), that addresses sympathetic nervous system stimulation for obesity or other gastrointestinal diseases such as peptic ulcers, esophageal reflux, gastroparesis, irritable bowel syndrome and type II diabetes, which may require varying degrees of sympathetic nervous system inhibition or stimulation. (Equities.com)
Article Features High-Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation Trial for Back PainJan. 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)
Colorado Hospital Gains Access to Deep Brain Stimulation TreatmentsDec. 28, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Claudio Feler, MD, was featured in an interview about treating a patient who has essential tremor at the Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where he had been recruited in 2011 from the University of Tennessee at Memphis Medical Center. (Post Independent) Study: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Reduced Tic SymptomsDec. 27, 2012 - A study of 25 Tourette syndrome patients under age 16, led by Nong Xiao of Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong district, China, and published in the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, showed that four weeks of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to the supplemental motor area of the brain led to a six-month reduction in tic symptoms in 68 percent of the subjects. The low-frequency stimulation inhibits cortical excitability. (Psych Central)
Functional MRI Scans Reveal Distributed Effects of Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's PatientsDec. 26, 2012 - A group of researchers centered at the University College London found that during voluntary movements, deep brain stimulation reversed the effective connectivity between regions of the cortex and thalamus, as seen in 10 Parkinson's disease patients receiving stimulation to the subthalmic nucleus during carefully administered fMRI scans. The authors conclude DBS changes interactions between distributed brain regions, and impacts connectivity between the cortex and thalamus by changing their sensitivities to extrinsic afferents. (PLoS ONE)
Researchers Describe Prototype Closed-loop Simulation Translational PlatformDec. 18, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Maciej Lazarewicz, MD, PhD, and Timothy Denison, PhD, of Medtronic, Inc., report along with co-authors demonstration of a prototype closed-loop deep-brain neurostimulation system in a chronic large animal model. The platform assessed hippocampal biomarkers of stimulation in order to titrate stimulation amplitudes to desired neural network effect. (Frontiers in Neural Circuits)
Brain-machine Interface Allows Control of Robotic ArmDec. 16, 2012 - An algorithm that draws on 25 years of basic research into motor control of the arms and wrists underlies development of brain-machine interface that allowed a paralyzed woman to operate a detached robotic hand through two motor cortex implants. (Bloomberg News) Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression is ReviewedDec. 13, 2012 - A review summarizes the state of clinical research into subcallosal cingulate white matter as a target for deep brain stimulation in treatment resistant depression. The discussion includes long-term psychotherapy considerations. (World Neurosurgery)
Authors Describe Protocol for Nonsurgical Vagus Nerve Stimulation Trial in DepressionDec. 14, 2012 - A researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and China-based colleagues have published a study protocol to explore transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation treatment for depression. In the study at four centers in Beijing, 120 patient volunteers with mild to moderate major depressive disorder will participate in a double-blinded randomized clinical trial in which superficial branches of the vagus nerve on the ear will be stimulated, based on the theory that stimulating these afferent nerves that have afferent vagus nerve distribution should produce effects similar to an implanted stimulation lead without the burden of surgical intervention. Also, the study may allow more understanding of the biological basis of a tradition of acupuncture using points in the ear. (BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine) Pilot Study Indicates Vagus Nerve Stimulation Combined with Sound Therapy May Improve TinnitusDec. 13, 2012 - Nine Finnish researchers report on a pilot study of 10 individuals that suggests transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation combined with sound therapy improved mood and decreased tinnitus handicap scores. Eight individuals underwent brain scans using magnetoencephalography that show treatment caused a decreased amplitude of response in the auditory cortex. (Acta Oto-laryngologica) Experts Ponder Concerns and Possible Promise of Deep Brain Stimulation in AddictionDec. 10, 2012 - The nucleus accumbens plays an important role in reward circuitry and behavior. Based on observations of patients who received deep brain stimulation to this target, animal studies, and clinical experience with other interventions, a medical ethicist, neurosurgeons, psychiatric faculty members and others have published an overview in which they conclude that modulating a dysfunctional reward network seems potentially promising as one treatment option for alcohol addiction, considering that current therapies help less than half of addicted patients. The authors describe recommendations and considerations for when and how to pursue informed consent. (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences)
Interview: Florida Center Anticipates Starting Investigation of Neurostimulation Treatment in Alzheimer's Disease Next Month
Dec. 13, 2012 - The University of Florida is expected to have its first deep brain stimulation surgery carried out on a clinical trial subject with mild Alzheimer's disease in January, according to an interview with Dr. Kelly Foote. The U.S. trial to investigate deep brain stimulation to the fornix's potential benefits on memory formation involves the University of Pennsylvania, the Banner Health System in Phoenix, and Johns Hopkins University. A total of 40 patients are expected to be enrolled in the prospective, randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial in which randomly selected control subjects will wait to receive stimulation until one year after implantation. (Gainesville Sun)
Editorial in Heart Failure Journal Notes Potential of Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Dec. 11, 2012 - An editorial in the European Journal of Heart Failure cites a "new era of device therapy" and mentions a clinical trial of BioControl Medical's CardioFit vagus nerve stimulation in heart failure. Results published in April 2011 showed 32 patients sustained clinical benefits over 12 months. Nineteen of the patients were followed for up to four years in subsequent research, and followup of up to 24 months was presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2012 in November. (MarketWatch)
Dec. 11, 2012 - Clinicians examined eight Parkinson's disease patients with bilateral deep brain stimulation systems, and tested the amplitude of stimulation at moderate, low, or off settings. Responses to the dose changes were individual, with some patients showing a threshhold-like response and othera a graded response. (Dove Press)
Dec. 10, 2012 - Finnish company Nexstim Oy won CE marking for its magnetic brain stimulation device, Navigated Brain Therapy. The device relies on MRI targeting and is intended for treatment of depression and stroke rehabilitation. (Fierce Medical Devices)
Data Presented on Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation for Chronic PainDec. 8, 2012 - At the 16th Annual NANS Conference, several presentations addressed use of Spinal Modulation's Axium Spinal Cord Stimulator System. Liong Liem, MD, an International Neuromodulation Society member, presented 12-month results in 32 patients at four pain centers in which stimulation to the dorsal root ganglion appeared promising due to minimal unwanted paresthesia and limited postural effects, with less than a 3% revision rate. He also reported that in 14 patients who had ilioinguinal nerve pain due to hernia repair, in an average follow-up of 14 weeks, over 90% of the patients experienced a 50% reduction in pain. At the same conference, International Neuromodulation Society President-Elect Timothy Deer, MD presented international experiences in managing neuropathic groin pain, post-amputation pain and CRPS of the lower extremities. In seven CRPS patients with difficult-to-treat foot pain, the average overall pain relief there was 82.9%, according to International Neuromodulation Society member Jean-Pierre Van Buyten, MD. Spinal Modulation will be initiating a pivotal trial in 2013 in the U.S. (Herald Online) Company Releases 32-Contact Spinal Cord Stimulation System in Europe and Announces New Products and IndicationsDec. 7, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society President Simon Thomson, MD, performed the first commercial implant of Boston Scientific's spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system that doubles the number of available contacts to 32. Each contact has a dedicated power source. This system, the Precision Spectra, is subject to two new clinical trials. The OPTIONS trial is a prospective, multi-center, single arm study to further characterize the system. The MAP trial is a multi-center study to identify multiple pain areas in SCS-eligible patients with certain diseases. The company announced several other new products and expanded regulatory indications in Europe: Head-only MRI conditional CE Mark approval for the Precision™ Plus SCS System; peripheral nerve stimulation CE Mark approval for the Precision Plus SCS System; Vercise™ Deep Brain Stimulator System CE Mark approval for Parkinson’s disease; and Infinion™ 16 Percutaneous Lead for SCS. (Daily Markets) FDA Sets February Date to Review Premarket Approval Application for Epilepsy Neurostimulation SystemDec. 7, 2012 - NeuroPace, Inc. has received a date of Feb. 22, 2013 for an FDA panel to review its application for premarket approval of its RNS System, a cortical neurostimulator and sensor to treat medically refractory epilepsy. (MassDevice) First U.S. Alzheimer's Patient Enters Deep Brain Stimulation TrialDec. 6, 2012 - Johns Hopkins is the first U.S. site to have a patient with mild Alzheimer's disease receive a deep brain stimulation system as part of Functional Neuromodulation's ADvance clinical trial. It has been two years since preparations began, noted Todd Langevin, Functional Neuromodulation president and chief operating officer, a member of the International Neuromodulation Society. The randomized double-blind controlled trial will initially enroll 20 patients aged 55-80 with mild Alzheimer's disease. Participating study centers include the Banner Alzheimer's Institute in Phoenix, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, and the University of Pennsylvania. (MarketWatch) Overactive Bladder Neuromodulation Therapies ComparedDec. 6, 2012 - Uroplasty, Inc. released data indicating that under a wide variety of conditions, percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation remained significantly less costly than sacral nerve stimulation over two years of therapy for patients with medically refractory overactive bladder. The company announced an abstract regarding the data is now available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2012.08.085. (PR Newswire) Case Report: Sacral Nerve Stimulation Relieves Chronic Pain from Fractured PelvisDec. 5, 2012 - A case report discussed a patient finding pain relief over the course of 3.5 years with sacral nerve stimulation. The treatment was intended for bladder symptoms and was noted to improve longstanding pain stemming from a pelvic fracture 25 years before. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface) Review Discusses Electrical Stimulation as an Adjuvant Therapy for Medically Refractory Chronic Cardiac DiseaseNov. 30, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Ulrich Beese, MD, PhD; Michiel Staal, MD, PhD; and Mike DeJongste, MD, PhD; along with Koen De Decker, MD report the status of electrical neuromodulation as a safe and reversible adjuvant therapy in medically refractory cardiac patients to reduce complaints of angina, enhance exercise capacity, improve quality of life and exert anti-ischemic effects. (Netherlands Heart Journal)
Television Interview Spotlights Functional Electrical StimulationDec. 4, 2012 - In a television interview, P. Hunter Peckham, PhD, of the Cleveland FES Center, describes development of functional electrical implants to help patients with chronic neurological disorders or partial spinal cord injury regain some motor or sensory function. Joining him on the broadcast was Jen French, executive director of Neurotech Network, who is one of about 500 spinal cord injury patients worldwide to a receive functional electrical stimulation implant. In addition to co-founding the education and advocacy organization, she was a silver medalist in sailing at the 2012 Paralympic Games. (Fox News)
Long-Term Data on Deep Brain Stimulation in Refractory Epilepsy Patients PresentedDec. 3, 2012 - Follow-up with 83 epilepsy patients five years after 110 patients underwent bilateral stimulation of the anterior nuclei of the thalamus shows sustained efficacy and continuous improvement in symptoms of refractory partial onset seizure epilepsy, according to an abstract presented American Epilepsy Society's annual meeting in San Diego. These data were gathered on patients who had participated in the SANTE trial funded by Medtronic, Inc. Reductions of at least 50% in seizure frequency were eventually seen in 69% of 59 patients followed for five years who kept seizure diaries for at least 70 days, and 16% of the patients remained seizure free for periods of at least 6 months. Deep brain stimulation for epilepsy is approved in Canada and Europe, but not the U.S., where an FDA advisory committee recommended approval on a 7-5 vote, based largely on early results from a sham-controlled phase of the trial. (MedPage Today) Vagus Nerve Stimulation System Early Results in Epilepsy Announced at Annual MeetingDec. 3, 2012 - Early results announced at the American Epilepsy Society 2012 meeting in San Diego show that in five refractory epilepsy patients with partial onset seizures, improved outcomes without side effects were observed with at least one year of use of the BioControl Medical FitNeS implantable vagus nerve stimulation system, which is available through the European spin-off CerebralRx and has CE Mark approval. This is the same platform technology used in the company's CardioFit(R) system for treating congestive heart failure. (MarketWatch) Advantages of Augmenting Stroke Rehabilitation with Neural Stimulation DiscussedNov. 29, 2012 - Researchers discuss advantages of augmenting stroke rehabilitation with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), or epidural cortical stimulation (ECS) that can enhance neural plasticity. (Experimental Brain Research)
Results of Amputation-Pain Study to be Presented at Las Vegas MeetingDec. 3, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Amol Soin, MD, is slated to present initial results of a pilot study of high-frequency nerve block stimulation for amputation pain at the annual meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society from Dec. 6 - 9 in Las Vegas. In the study, long-term testing of the patented approach by Neuros Medical, Inc. shows that therapy sessions reduced pain rating from 4 or 5 on a scale of 10 to 0 or 1, according to a company news release. (Neuros Medical, Inc.) Upcoming Trial of Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation for Neuropathic Pain is AnnouncedNovember 2012 - Recruitment of patients with chronic neuropathic pain for a clinical trial using stimulation to the dorsal toot ganglion was announced by a member of the International Neuromodulation Society, W. Porter McRoberts, MD, who is seeking patients to participate in a study of the stimulator created by the company Spinal Modulation. The recruitment seeks patients with chronic pain the the feet or legs, chronic diabetic peripheral neuropathy, burning leg or foot pain, or failed back surgery syndrome. (International House of Pain) Intraoperative Recordings Show GPi Stimulation Entrains Local Neuronal FiringNov. 26, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Ashwin Viswanathan, MD, and colleagues published results showing that in 11 Parkinson's patients who agreed to participate in a study during implantation of a deep brain stimulation (DBS) system, stimulation to a single neuron on the globus pallidus (GPi) apparently disrupts the pathological firing patterns through loosely entrained firing and decreased net neuronal activity. The effects appeared in a voltage-dependent fashion. While most neurons decreased activity during stimulation, some increased or did not change firing rate. Thirty-three of 45 neurons displayed complex patterns of entrainment during stimulation, and burst firing was consistently decreased after stimulation. (Journal of Neurophysiology)
Combined Neural Stimulation Improves Motor Function in Spinal Cord Injury Study Subjects November 29, 2012 - Researchers report in Current Biology that electrical stimulation of the ulner nerve, combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation to the motor cortex, helped patients with partial spinal cord injury to more ably perform a task using a peg board. Nineteen patients were compared with 14 healthy volunteers in the research project. The authors, from the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh, believe enhancing synaptic transmission through this stimulation reinforces plasticity of the remaining neural pathways during rehabilitation. (MedPage Today)
Patent Application Concerns Phrenic Nerve Stimulation to Treat Central Sleep ApneaNovember 2012 - A patent application assigned to Medtronic, Inc. was cleared for further review on Nov. 22, 2012, that involves addressing central sleep apnea or obstructive sleep apnea through phrenic nerve stimulation. The system would sense heart rhythm and the cardiac refractory period in order to induce respiration without substantially inducing cardiac contraction. (Equities.com) Collaboration Intends to Develop Prosthetic Arm Controlled by ThoughtsNov. 28, 2012 - A project in Sweden, carried out by Chalmers University of Technology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Integrum AB, aims to attach a prosthetic arm directly to the remaining bone and use a neural interface at the nerves and muscles to control the action of the prosthesis. In the concept, signals from the interface would be transmitted through the titanium bone implant. (EE Times)
Vagus Nerve Stimulation Studied in Rats with Acute Myocardial InfarctionNov. 26, 2012 - A team of researchers from the Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine's Department of Pharmacology in China, and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center and Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, report preclinical studies that may help address ischemic heart disease. The most optimal parameter in their study of vagus nerve stimulation in rats with acute myocardial infarction showed reduced heart injury, well-preserved function, and minimal heart rate reduction. The authors note the duration of stimulation influenced its protective effect. (PLoS ONE) Neuromodulation Talks Posted from Montreux MeetingNov. 26, 2012 - A number of international faculty presented earlier in November at the 2nd Joint Annual Meeting and Swiss Society for Interventional Pain Management and the Swiss Neuromodulation Society in Montreux, Switzerland. The talks can now be viewed through videostreaming. (Swiss Neuromodulation Society)
Retinal Implant Representation of Braille Letters is Identifiable to a Blind Study SubjectNov. 23, 2012 - A patient literate in Braille could identify letters and words using a retinal implant that stimulated six electrodes in various patterns to create the letters directly, according to a published Nov. 21 in the journal Frontiers of Neuroprosthetics http://www.frontiersin.org/Neuroprosthetics/10.3389/fnins.2012.00168/full#B13 by researchers from the company Second Sight, manufacturers of the Argus II retinal implant. The patient viewed each projection for half a second and identified the characters with up to 89% accuracy. (Health U.S. News) New Zealand Child is Reportedly First to Receive Deep Brain Stimulation for Severe Pain, Spasm, and Movement IllnessNov. 22, 2012 - In what is believed to be a medical first in New Zealand, a Carterton girl underwent bilateral deep brain stimulation surgery to treat intense painful spasms that developed in May after she was struck by a mystery illness following a sore throat and had reportedly been unable to move as a result. (stuff.co.nz) International Neuromodulation Society Members Develop Model to Guide Spinal Cord Stimulation Reprogramming EffortsNov. 21, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Jeffrey Arle, MD, PhD, and Jay Shils, PhD, joined with Kris Carlson of the Neuromodulation Group at the Lahey Clinic in Vermont to develop a visual model of changing electric fields that result from scar formation in spinal cord stimulation, with the goal of predicting the proper stimulation to adjust for that effect rather than relying on trial-and-error reprogramming. (Comsol) Economics Model Compares Costs and Benefits of Implant or Outpatient Procedure for Overactive Bladder TreatmentNov. 19, 2012 - Writing in the Journal of Urology, researchers from Technomics Research LLC in Minneapolis simulated the cost of treating overactive bladder for two years with either a sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) implant or outpatient percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS). Using Medicare reimbursement data and effectiveness estimated by a literature review, they concluded that in their model, PTNS had substantially lower cost although both methods are safe, effective neuromodulation therapies for overactive bladder. Of patients who completed an initial trial successfully, PTNS cost $4,867 with 71% of patients remaining on therapy at two years; SNS cost $24,342 with 90% remaining on therapy after two years. (Journal of Urology)
Radomized, Controlled Trial Compares Deep Brain Stimulation Targets in Advanced Parkinson's DiseaseNov. 16, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Michiel Staal, MD, PhD; Carel Hoffmann, MD; and 16 co-authors report a randomized controlled trial that compared globus pallidus pars interna (GPi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) and stimulation to the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in 128 patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. No significant difference was seen in up to one year of followup in disability scores or side-effects. However, the STN group showed improvements in the off-drug phase compared with the GPi group. (The Lancet Neurology)
Enrollment Begins in Peripheral Nerve Stimulation TrialNov. 16, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Paul Lynch, MD and Tory McJunkin, MD, are enrolling patients with peripheral nerve pain for a clinical trial of the Bioness nerve stimulator. The device uses an external battery pack attached with adhesive. (PR Web) Neurosurgeons Develop a Benchmark Across Facilities for the Process of Deep Brain Stimulation SurgeryNov. 13, 2012 - Aviva Abosch, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Minnesota Medical Center have published an international survey that includes 143 centers performing deep brain stimulation surgery (DBS) at various volumes. The authors describe 19 main steps in the procedure and data on the duration of the steps, which they believe could help in comparing efficiencies and identifying workflow obstacles. (Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery) Authors Summarize Mechanisms of Plasticity Resulting from Neurostimulation to Treat Spinal Cord InjuryNovember 2012 - Based on increasing understanding of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity with clinical applications in restoring motor function to patients with spinal cord injury, a pair of authors review evidence of several complementary plasticity mechanisms that may underlie these therapeutic effects. (Nature Reviews Neurology)
Authors Discuss Candidacy for Deep Brain Stimulation in Subgroups of Dystonia Patients Nov. 15, 2012 - In a review of literature on deep brain stimulation for dystonia, a team of authors from the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris analyzed reports that predicted treatment outcome and others that were more variable, highlighting recent results showing that myoclonus and tar dive dystonia share a good risk/benefit ration with primary dystonia when treated with bilateral internal globus pallidum stimulation. They note that poor or variable results have been obtained for secondary dystonia, such as that caused by heredodegenerative and metabolic disorders. (Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry)
First Patient Undergoes Procedure in U.S. Clinical Trial of Deep Brain Stimulation in Alzheimer's DiseaseNov. 14, 2012 - Up to 10 patients will be enrolled in a study led by Douglas Scharre, MD, and Ali Rezai, MD -- a member of the International Neuromodulation Society and president of its North American chapter -- to explore the potential of deep brain stimulation (DBS) to improve cognitive, behavioral, and functional deficits in mild to early-sate Alzheimer's disease. The first patient to receive a DBS implant to address Alzheimer's disease in the United States underwent the procedure on Oct. 24. (HealthNews Digest) U.S. Army Base is Promoting Awareness of Safe Painkiller Use and Alternatives Such As NeuromodulationNov. 13, 2012 - The U.S. Army's Operation OpioidSAFE was created in 2008 at Ft. Bragg, California to educate soldiers, their families, and primary care providers about the importance of safe prescription drug use and alternative pain treatments such as neuromodulation, according to a press release by the North American Neuromodulation Society, a chapter of the International Neuromodulation Society. (Sacramento Bee) Results Presented After 24 Months of Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Study of Heart Failure PatientsNov. 12, 2012 - A multi-center study in Italy, Germany, The Netherlands and Serbia showed the CardioFit vagus nerve stimulation system by BioControl Medical benefited the 19 patients for up to 24 months, according to results presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2012. (Cardiovascular News International)
Sacral Neuromodulation Studied in Patients with Simultaneous Fecal and Urinary Incontinence November 2012 - Fifty-seven patients were followed for at least six months (with a median of 62.8 months) to see the effects of sacral neuromodulation on simultaneous fecal and urinary incontinence. Urinary frequency and urge incontinence improved, but not retention and dysuria, while fecal incontinence also improved. At the end of follow-up, 73% patients were highly satisfied with the technique, but 9% felt their condition had deteriorated. The reoperation rate was 29%, of which 12% were indicated because of a complication. (Diseases of the Colon & Rectum) Study Examines Usefulness of Motor Cortex Stimulation in Advanced Parkinson's Disease Oct. 2, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Giusy Guzzi, MD, Angelo Lavano, MD, and colleagues report results from a three-year follow-up on 10 patients whose advanced Parkinson's disease was treated with unilateral motor cortex stimulation (MCS) at the University Hospital of Catanzaro, Italy. While less efficacious than deep brain stimulation, they say it might be proposed for patients who are unresponsive or excluded from that surgery. They conclude that employing extradural MCS contralateral to the most-affected side improved all main symptoms of severe advanced Parkinson's disease, especially axial symptoms, gait disturbances, and medical complications of drug therapy, and also reduced drug intake.
5M€ IMPACT project Aims to Reduce Deep Brain Stimulation-Induced Side EffectsNov. 12, 2012 - A collaborative European project is aimed to minimize stimulation-induced side effects experienced by some 15-30% of patients who received deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment. The four-year. 5M€ IMPACT project, sponsored by the European Union's innovation-encouraging Seventh Framework Programme, is led by Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation B.V. (Netherlands), with Twente Medical Systems International B.V. (Netherlands), ICsense N.V. (Belgium), Linköping University (Sweden), Fraunhofer MEVIS Project Group on Image Registration (Germany), and clinical partners University Hospital Cologne (Germany), ICM: the Brain & Spine Institute (France), and University Hospital Umeå (Sweden). The goal is to create a positioning and programming tool that uses direct feedback and images through combining pre- and post-operative imaging data, high-resolution electrical recordings of the patients' brain activity and bio-statistical data about DBS target areas. (Reuters) UK Newspaper Covers New Availability of an External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulator for EpilepsyNov. 12, 2012 - UK specialists are giving a cautious welcome to an epilepsy patch worn on the forehead while sleeping, the external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) system, by U.S.-based Neurosigma. Powered by a small stimulator worn around the waist, it stimulates major branches of the trigeminal nerve, which lies close to the skin on the forehead and which is thought to connect to parts of the brain involved in epileptic seizures. The device has CE Mark approval for prescription use for epilepsy and serious depression. (The Telegraph) First Patient Results Reported From Study of Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Lower Inflammation in Rheumatoid ArthritisNov. 12, 2012 - SetPoint Medical announced positive results from the first-ever human study of eight patients using an implanted vagus nerve stimulation device to reduce inflammation and treat rheumatoid arthritis. The results were announced at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting. Two of the eight patients reached remission as measured by the Disease Activity Score, and six of the eight had a positive response as measured by the American College of Rheumatology's scoring, to a level of ACR 20. (SetPoint Medical)
Virginia Medical Center Begins Offering Deep Brain Stimulation SurgeryNov. 11, 2012 - An article describes how the first Parkinson's disease patient to undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery at the Winchester Medical Center in Virginia is now back to enjoying hunting and fishing in the woods. Several more patients are being evaluated for potential DBS surgery at the medical center. (Cumberland Times-News) Study Compares Impedance Differences Between Strip and Depth Brain Stimulation ElectrodesNov. 8, 2012 - Drs. Chengyuan Wu and Ashwini D. Sharan, members of the International Neuromodulation Society, co-authored a research paper with colleagues in which impedance values were measured over three years in seven epilepsy patients to compare differences between depth and strip electrodes, and to examine device stability and implications of long-term electrode implantation. The patients had participated in a pivotal clinical trial of responsive neurostimulation. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface) Ireland Health Authority Publishes Technical Assessment of Deep Brain StimulationNov. 7, 2012 - The health technology assessment weighing the costs and benefits of establishing a national service in Ireland for deep brain stimulation is now available to download from the Irish health authority. (Health and Information Quality Authority)
Assessment Weighs Costs and Benefits of a Potential Deep Brain Stimulation Program in IrelandNov. 8, 2012 - An assessment by the Health Information and Quality Authority shows that the cost of establishing a deep brain stimulation program in Ireland would exceed the cost of sending patients to the UK by around €21,000 per patient over 10 years, although easier access to care would benefit patients if a program were established. (Irish Health) Benefits of Electrical Stimulation for Treating Gastroparesis ReportedNov. 8, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Jiande Chen, PhD, was interviewed in an article about a study he led that shows that electrical stimulation to acupuncture points improves dyspeptic symptoms in patients who have gastroparesis, a complication of diabetes that causes nausea, vomiting, bloating, and other symptoms. (EndoNurse)
Physicians Examine Brain Imaging Correlates of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Oct. 31, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Nader Pouratian, MD, and Ausaf A. Bari, MD present an overview of brain imagine correlates of vagal, occipital, trigeminal and sacral nerve stimulation. "As more patients are implanted with peripheral nerve stimulators," they write, "it will become imperative to perform functional neuroimaging studies with greater power to delineate the regions involved in their therapeutic effect." (Surgical Neurology International) Case Study Indicates Potential of Sacral Nerve Stimulation to Treat Fecal Incontinence from Acquired Sphincter DefectOct. 30, 2012 - In a case report from St. Mark's Hospital and Academic Institute in Harrow, UK, two patients who had undergone coloanal pull-through procedures in infancy were trailed with sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) for fecal incontinence. Both had acquired sphincter defect with partial sacral agenesis. One went on to a permeant implant, indicating SNS may be effective for some incontinent patients with imperforate anus even in the presence of partial sacral agenesis. (Techniques in Coloproctology)
Review Examines 10 Years of Studies of Sacral Nerve Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant ConstipationNov. 2, 2012 - A team of clinicians from St Mark's Hospital and Academic Institute in Harrow, UK reviewed 13 studies from the past 10 years in which sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) was used in cases of constipation resistant to conservative treatment. Although the various studies had different outcome measures and patient populations, in those who proceeded to permanent SNS, up to 87 percent showed an improvement in symptoms at a median follow-up of 28 months. (British Journal of Surgery) Overview of Focal Neuromodulation for Depression Points to Potential for More Detailed UnderstandingNov. 1, 2012 - A summary of emerging potential therapies for medically refractory depression, including transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, magnetic seizure therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, direct cortical stimulation, and deep brain stimulation concludes that "by investigating specific and shared mechanisms of action for these diverse treatments, biological factors predicting differential treatment response may be identified," and that clarifying which patients may benefit from which approaches "may be achieved through head-to-head trials comparing different neuromodulation approaches and through the use of well-constructed registries." (F1000 Prime) Five-Year Follow-Up Indicates Pallidal Neurostimulation is Effective and Relatively Safe in Ideopathic DystoniaNov. 1, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Volker Tronnier, MD, Marcus Pinkser, MD, and Jan Vesper, MD, and 20 co-authors published a five-year follow-up of a randomized trial of pallidal deep brain stimulation in 38 patients with primary generalized or segmental dystonia. They conclude pallidal neurostimulation is an effective and relatively safe treatment option for patients with severe idiopathic dystonia and that their long-term observations provide further evidence in favor of it as a first-line treatment for patients with medically intractable, segmental, or generalised dystonia. (The Lancet) Authors Address Central Mechanisms of Epilepsy Seizure Suppression Through Vagus Nerve StimulationOct. 31, 2012 - Since 1988, more than 50,000 epilepsy patients have received vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) systems. International Neuromodulation Society member Scott Krahl, PhD, and Kevin B. Clark summarize how activation of vagal afferents through electrical stimulation influences seizure-related circuitry within the brain, and conclude the locus coeruleus and dorsal raphe nucleus play prominent roles in mediating seizure suppression induced by VNS. (Surgical Neurology International Stereotatic) Authors Summarize Studies of One Brain Target for Controlling Tremor Symptoms Through Electrical Stimulation Oct. 29, 2012 - Three University of Chicago researchers have published a mini-review examining the few available studies that evaluate neurostimulation of the posterior subthalamic area for essential tremor or parkinsonian tremor. They write that this target, including the zona incerta and the prelemniscal radiation, shows promise in tremor suppression and has a mild and transient adverse effect profile. (Translational Neurodegeneration)
University to Assist Tinnitus Clinical Trial in 2013Oct. 31, 2012 - The Texas Biomedical Device Center at the University of Texas at Dallas has agreed to partner with neuroscience-based medical device company MicroTransponder to conduct one of the first U.S. clinical tests of a novel tinnitus therapeutic approach developed at UT Dallas for tinnitus. The trial will take place in a small cohort of patients beginning in 2013. The approach pairs audible tones with brief pulses of electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve. (University of Texas at Dallas)
Spine Surgeon Discusses Emergence and Benefits of Spinal Cord StimulationOct. 31, 2012 - Spine surgery tailors therapy to the problem, Dr. Alexander Bailey says in a Q&A column, and growing trends consider spinal cord stimulation (SCS) one of those options, which he believes benefit patients "even more than fusion therapy". Technology, technique and awareness of SCS among patients and physicians have all improved, he said. (Becker's Spine Review) Neurostimulator Invented for Headache Treatment is Voted Among Top 10Oct. 31, 2012 - Second on the Cleveland Clinic's list of top 10 medical innovations for the year is the sphenopalatine ganglion neurostimulator invented there and developed by Autonomic Technologies Inc. for treatment of cluster and migraine headaches. The device is investigational in the United States and has received CE Mark approval in Europe. Physicians and researchers voted on 250 ideas submitted by colleagues. One selection criterion is the number of people potentially helped by a product or procedure. (Reuters) Gastric Stimulation Device Permits Online Social Support and SharingOct. 30, 2012 - Intrapace's implantable gastric stimulator includes communication between the device and an online portal where patients may track their food intake and activity levels, and share with approved peers as a motivator for weight loss. The system received CE Mark approval in England, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany in 2011. (Medgadget)
Online Interactive Expert Panel Starts Thursday for INS Members on Choice of Intrathecal Drugs for PainOct. 31, 2012 - The next online, interactive Expert Panel begins tomorrow, Nov. 1, through Nov. 15, 2012, and is accessible to all members of the International Neuromodulation Society. Elliot Krames, MD, past president of INS and emeritus editor-in-chief of the journal Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, will moderate a question-and-answer discussion for practitioners on "Choice of Intrathecal Drugs for Pain". Members may log in at www.neuromodulation.com and enter the Members-Only Section to visit this topic on the Global Discussion Forum. (International Neuromodulation Society) Australian Clinic Starts Offering Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant DepressionOct. 31, 2012 - A patient describes receiving repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for medically refractory depression at a new clinic in Melbourne. (The Australian) San Francisco-Area Doctors Learn About Transcranial Direct Current StimulationOct. 30, 2012- A medical director of rehabilitation at a county hospital in San Leandro, Calif. arranged a daylong workshop on transcranial direct current stimulation. An article about the event called the investigational method a "kinder, gentler . . . form of electric brain stimulation" that "is gaining traction as a promising therapy for brain injuries due to stroke or other traumas, depression, dementia, attention-deficit disorder and other conditions." (SFGate) University Uses Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Brain ResearchOct. 30, 2012 - The cognitive Brain Research Unit in Siltavuorenpenger has a new transcranial magnetic stimulation system, the Finnish Nextim NBS4, that is dedicated to research purposes, such as mapping which areas of the brain are responsible for which tasks, such as speech processing. (University of Helsinki)
Inhibition of Supplementary Motor Area May Help Reduce TicsOct. 29, 2012 - Imitation tics (echophenomena) were three times as likely to appear in healthy subjects who had activity stimulated in the portion of their brain involved in initiating movement, the supplementary motor area (SMA), compared to subjects whose SMA activity was suppressed, according to a study that used different frequencies of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). The researchers at Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf, Germany, are interested in seeing if inhibiting the SMA using rTMS helps reduce tics in Tourette syndrome. (New Scientist) Animal Study Suggests Spinal Cord Stimulation May Help Reduce Heart Failure SymptomsOct. 29, 2012 - The Daily Mail reports on a study in a pig model of heart failure, presented by researchers from the University of Hong Kong at the European Society of Cardiology in Munich, that compared drug treatment with either intermittent or constant spinal cord stimulation. The paper reported that spinal stimulation produced a marked improvement in the strength of the heart, and the amount of blood sent around the body with each beat. (Daily Mail) Impact of Deep Brain Stimulation on Chorea DiscussedOct. 29, 2012 - Six studies to date show deep brain stimulation improved the uncontrollable movements of chorea in patients with Huntington's disease, writes post-doctoral fellow Melissa Christiansen, PhD, of Duke University. She references a 2012 review article in the journal Movement Disorders. (HDBuzz) Remote Programming of Neuromodulation Devices May be Possible Through TelemonitoringOct. 23, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Ivar Mendez, MD, PhD, and Paula Chiasson, MScOT, join colleagues to report a positive outcome for a feasibility study that compared neuromodulation programming by an in-person or remote expert. A remote presence robot (RP-7, In Touch Health Inc., Santa Barbara, CA) was used for remote programming. The ability of 10 nurses, with no previous experience, to program the devices established proof-of-principle for telepresence and telemonitoring to potentially allow patients real-time access to neuromodulation expertise from the comfort of their home. (Neurosurgery)
Cleveland-Based Firm Receives Most Promising Startup AwardOct. 29, 2012 - Cleveland-based Neuros Medical, Inc. received Neurotech Reports' 2012 Gold Electrode Award for Most Promising Startup at the Neurotech Leaders Forum in San Francisco on Oct. 22. Publisher James Cavuoto said the company has a strong, focused market and is executing development of its technology in a sound and effective manner. The company is carrying out a pilot clinical trial to evaluate its patented high-frequency Electrical Nerve Block™ technology for acute treatment of pain in the residual limb of amputees. The company has also identified potential applications in chronic post-surgical pain, chronic migraine, and trigeminal neuralgia. (Neuros Medical) Newspaper Prints Account of Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery for Parkinson's DiseaseOct. 28, 2012 - A Parkinson's patient at Flinders Medical Centre allowed a reporter to observe his deep brain stimulation surgery, one of about eight such procedures performed annually there. (news.com.au) Analysis Finds No Impact on Sleep from Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment in Medically Refractory DepressionOct. 26, 2012 - An analysis of a study of 301 patients with treatment-resistant depression, which compared the anti-depressive effects of the Neuronetics Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy System to sham (placebo) treatment, showed no difference in sleep effects between the two groups. The patients who received active treatment did not report changed rates of insomnia or excessive sleeping. (Georgia Health Sciences University)
Electric Hand Operated by Multiple Sensors Featured in Video Interview Oct. 24, 2012 - A video interview of a man in the United Kingdom who received a prosthetic hand includes a comment from one of the manufacturers at RSLSteeper who explains that the multiple sensors that operate the device allow users to eventually think "'Open and close,' and it will work." (Yahoo/Associated Press)
Non-invasive Approach to Improve Cognitive Function in Alzheimer's Patients Undergoes Trials in the U.S. and IsraelOct. 24, 2012 - The Israel-based company Neuronix anticipates FDA approval in 2014 for its system that combines transcranial magnetic stimulation and cognitive training for cases of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, according to Reuters. Already approved for use in Europe, Israel and several Asian countries such as Singapore, the treatment involves daily sessions over six weeks of one hour per day, five days per week. The treatment is undergoing trials in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease at the Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Neuronix is also running a trial in Israel for pre-Alzheimer's patients. The company expects to sell half a dozen systems in the second half of 2012 and three dozen in 2013. In Israel, the treatment costs $6,000. (MedCity News) Article Recounts the State of Parkinson's Disease TreatmentsOct. 24, 2012 - Barbara Changizi, MD, co-director of the Center for Neuromodulation at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, provides an overview of Parkinson's disease treatment, from medications to deep brain stimulation. (New York Daily News)
Non-Invasive Stimulation Method to be Tried in Patients with Parkinson's Disease Oct. 23, 2012 - Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital's Laboratory of Neuromodulation in Boston, Mass. is starting a study of a novel neurostimulation treatment in Parkinson's disease. The method, non-invasive electronic stimulation (ESStim) combines independently controlled electromagnetic and ultrasonic fields. The combined fields focus and boost neurostimulation currents via tuned electromechanical coupling. In 2011, device maker Highland Instruments, Inc. began evaluating the device in patients with chronic pain from osteoarthritis. (Herald Online) Italian Team Reports Long-Term Study of Vagus Nerve Stimulation in EpilepsyOct. 21, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member and past president Mario Meglio, MD and colleagues report findings from studying 53 patients with medically refractory epilepsy who received vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and were followed for a mean duration of 56 months. They report that 40% of the patients responded to the therapy, and the best candidates seemed to be those whose epilepsy was caused by lesions (particular post-ischemic and tuberous sclerosis), occurred over a short period of time, and who underwent VNS younger than age 18. (Acta Neurochirurgica)
Gastroparesis Study Examines Home-Based Externally Applied Electrical StimulationOct. 22, 2012 - International Medical Society member Jiande Chen, PhD, presented a blind cross-over study at the American College of Gastroenterology annual meeting in which 18 diabetic patients with gastroparesis experienced symptom improvements of 20 - 40 percent with self-applied home-based electrical stimulation to acupressure points on the wrist or leg. Patients were asked to apply stimulation for two hours after each lunch or dinner. An electrogastrogram and electrocardiogram were recorded before and after four weeks of treatment. A trend in increased vagal activity was seen with electrical stimulation. (Medical Xpress) Stroke Case Sheds Light on Neural Aspects of AddictionOct. 22, 2012 - An abstract presented at the Canadian Stroke Congress in Calgary details the case of a man formerly addicted to cocaine who lost his craving following a stroke to his basal ganglia. One way of blocking pathways that are important in addiction could be deep brain stimulation, the article notes. (Ottawa Citizen) Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation Said to Offer Hope for Migraines, Airway DiseaseOct. 17, 2012 - A blog post summarizes non-invasive devices by ElectroCore Medical that act by stimulating the vagus nerve transcutaneously for treating airway diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and migraine headaches. (Arab Health blog) Overview of Optogenetics Technologies PublishedOct. 14, 2012 - A team of researchers from the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in the Netherlands has published an overview of recent developments in the field of optogenetics technology that are relevant for a better understanding of several neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and may pave the way for future therapeutic interventions. (Molecular Neurobiology)
Closed-Loop Stimulation for Epilepsy - Overview for Patients Posted on International Neuromodulation Society WebsiteOctober 2012 - The latest web content about neuromodulation by members of the International Neuromodulation Society concerns the emergence of closed-loop stimulation to treat medically refractory epilepsy. The material includes explanations, illustrations and extensive references to research articles. (International Neuromodulation Society) In a News Column, INS Member Describes a Broad Scope of Neuromodulation TherapiesOct. 17, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Brian Kopell, MD, explains neuromodulation therapies in a "Daily Checkup" column entitled, "Neuromodulation is offering long-term relief against chronic pain and suffering". (New York Daily News) New England Journal of Medicine Author Calls Deep Brain Stimulation Now 'Completely Accepted' Oct. 17, 2012 - University of Florida neurologist Michael Okun says deep brain stimulation (DBS) has moved beyond skepticism from internists and neurologists since the university's McKnight Brain Institute started offering it in 2002, and moved from "crazy to cool to completely accepted." He was interviewed upon publication of a paper in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine describing how DBS is being used to help with Parkinson's disease, and other conditions such as obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette’s syndrome and depression. (Gainesville Sun)
Study: Extradural Motor Cortex Stimulation Provides Moderate Relief of Parkinson's Disease Motor Symptoms October 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Beatrice Cioni, MD: Alfonso Fasano, MD, PhD; Tommaso Turfu, MD; Mario Meglio, MD; and colleagues report in the journal Neurosurgery on nine Parkinson's disease patients who had extradural motor cortex stimulation as an alternate to deep brain stimulation for at least one year. The patients reported moderate improvement of motor symptoms and quality of life. (scienceblog.com) Paper Reports Migraine Improvements from Occipital Nerve StimulationOct. 17, 2012 - A short article mentions the Genesis occipital nerve stimulation system for migraine, which was shown to reduce the average number of migraines per month from 22 to 16. (New Zealand Herald) National Television Reports on Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic PainOct. 16, 2012 - In a national television segment on the NBC Nightly News, correspondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman includes spinal cord stimulation in an overview of methods to reduce chronic back and leg pain from issues such as failed repeat back surgery. (MSNBC) Individualized Method of Neurostimulation to Control Overactive Bladder Presented in Award-Winning Abstract at European Urology MeetingOct. 16, 2012 - A new percutaneous neurostimulation technique for patients with overactive bladder won first prize for best abstract from Richard Wolf at the European Association of Urology 12th Central European Meeting in Dresden, Germany. The abstract describes a pilot study by clinicians in Prague. They studied 14 patients with detrusor hyperactivity and three healthy volunteers. The subjects received 289 neurostimulations of varying intensity, frequency, duration and pulse shape while linked to an oscilloscope. Comparison with a micturition diary allowed optimal parameters to be determined. The device detects fade-out of motor reflexes and uses that signal to deliver the next stimulus pulse. The inventors call the measured, individualized optimal stimulation the "neuroresonance frequency". (Urosource) Virginia Regional Medical Center Holds Press Conference to Announce Its First Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery for Parkinson's DiseaseOct. 16, 2012 - An article describes the first patient at Winchester Medical Center in Virginia to have deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease. His surgeon said in a hospital press conference, eight days after the device was activated, that the procedure has been around for some time, and can now be done in non-academic or non-research facilities. (nvdaily.com) In Laboratory Study, Deep Brain Stimulation Triggers Release of Neurotransmitters in Prefrontal CortexOct. 13, 2012 - In a study in rats, deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus accumbens resulted in rapid increases in the release of dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline in the prefrontal cortex, substantiating the hypothesis that DBS modulates activity of monoamine neurotransmitters distally to reduce symptoms of treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder. (Journal of Neurochemistry) Argentine Newspaper Announces Regional Neuromodulation Program October 2012 - A regional neuromodulation program that involves International Neuromodulation Society members Fabian Piedimonte, MD, and Juan Carlos Andreani, MD, is briefly described in a Spanish-language Argentine newspaper. (El Dia)
Follow-up Study Reviews Safety and Durability of Bladder Incontinence DeviceOct. 15, 2012 - Three of seven patients who were implanted with a tibial nerve stimulation device in 2003 continued to use the Urgent PC product by Uroplasty, Inc. regularly over nine years and sustained improvement in symptoms of overactive bladder, according to results to be presented at the annual meeting of the International Continence Society (ICS) in Beijing. (Herald Online)
Visceral Pain to be Focus of Global Awareness InitiativeOct. 15, 2012 - The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) launches an effort endorsed by the International Neuromodulation Society, the Global Year Against Visceral Pain. The most common reason for visits to gastrointestinal clinics, visceral pain also includes chronic chest pain, bladder pain, and pelvic pain. (IASP) Sacral Nerve Stimulation Techniques Detailed in Journal ArticleOctober 2012 - Great success can be achieved with a systematic and methodical approach to sacral nerve stimulation for lower urinary tract dysfunction, write physicians from the West Virginia University School of Medicine in an article describing their technique for a variety of conditions. (Canadian Journal of Neurology) Deep Brain Stimulation Patient Describes Relief from His Parkinson's Disease SymptomsOct. 15, 2012 - A Parkinson's disease patient describes how receiving deep brain stimulation helps him feel he has regained his life back. (Altoona Mirror) Israeli Device Company Enters Second Phase of Global Trials of Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Heart DiseaseOct. 14, 2012 BioControl Medical, Inc. has entered a second phase of its multi-center, global clinical trials of the CardioFit vagus nerve stimulation system. The trials in 650 heart failure patients should take about three more years, funded in part by a 2010 investment of $70 million by Medtronic. (Israel 21c) Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation Anticipated to be Ready for Clinical Trials in One YearOct. 12, 2012 - A closed-loop deep brain stimulation system designed to only deliver stimulation when needed to patients with Parkinson's disease or epilepsy should be ready for human clinical trials next year, according to an interview with Medtronic. (Technology Review) Patent Issued for Powering Medical Implants Passively from an External SourceOct. 11, 2012 - Medtronic has received a new U.S. patent for a passive method of powering implanted medical devices wirelessly from an external source, including possibly having the source be located in chairs, blankets or clothing. (MassDevice)
Oct. 11, 2012 - The next online, interactive Expert Panel forum begins tomorrow, Oct. 12 through Oct. 26, 2012, and is accessible to all members of the International Neuromodulation Society. INS President-elect Timothy Deer, MD, lead author of current articles on the Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference findings in Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, will join INS Director-at-Large Eric Buchser and colleagues in a question-and-answer discussion for practitioners on "Evolving Recommendations and Future Considerations Regarding Intrathecal Drug Delivery to Manage Pain". Members may login at www.neuromodulation.com and enter the Members-Only Section to visit this topic on the Global Discussion Forum. (International Neuromodulation Society)
Data from Sleep Study of Spinal Cord Stimulation Patient Offers Implications for Potentially Treating Restless Leg Syndrome October 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Robert Corba, MD, reports in a 2011 poster an observation that a patient whose EEG patterns were being analyzed for sleep apnea. The patient showed a continual pattern disturbance and excessive limb movements, but minimal distribution of sleep cycles that might be attributed to the patient's use of spinal cord stimulation for chronic neuropathic lumbar radiculopathy. He concludes that "a restorative sleep pattern, with an identifiable “interference” and little disruption of REM sleep would make one consider future research for the use of spinal cord stimulation in patients with an underlying diagnosis of restless leg syndrome." (Lehigh Valley Health Network) Managed Care Article Looks at Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Heart FailureOctober 2012 - Since heart failure patients who have decreased activity of the parasympathetic nervous system tend to have a poorer prognosis than patients with decreased activity of the sympathetic nervous system, it is believed increasing parasympathetic nervous system activity may be protective, although current heart failure medications target the sympathetic nervous system. An analysis by the ECRI Institute examines the pros and cons of vagus nerve stimulation to treat heart disease -- an approach that is currently in Phase III medical trials in the United States, and received CE mark approval in 2008. (ECRI Institute via Managed Care) Medically Resistant Epilepsy Patients Studied for Factors Regarding Vagus Nerve Stimulation SuccessOct. 4, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Rafael Garcia de Sola, MD, and colleagues report in the journal Seizure on a trial of 43 medication-resistant epileptic patients who received vagus nerve stimulation without a modification of their medication. After 18 months, 62.8% had a reduction in seizure frequency of at least 50%, with predictive factors requiring controlled studies of larger sample sizes. (Seizure) Small Study Explores Potential for Treating Tourette Syndrome with Deep Brain StimulationOctober 2012 - In a pilot study of deep brain stimulation in five patients with Tourette syndrome, Drs. Michael S. Okun, Kelly D. Foote, and colleagues report observations from bilateral lead implants in the centromedian thalamic region, stimulated with a constant-current device in a acute scheduled fashion (compared to off or continuous after the initial six months). Although no patient met the endpoint of at least 50% improvement, there was a trend for improvement, with the stimulated conditions performing better than the off condition (when blinded after an initial six months of scheduled stimulation in all groups). Motor and vocal tic suppression commonly appeared with ventral (deep) contacts, and programming settings resulting in tic suppression were commonly associated with a subjective feeling of calmness. (Archives of Neurology) Business Article Features Obesity-Treatment DeviceSept. 13, 2012 - A news feature about the Abiliti device by IntraPace of Mountain View, California, describes its performance among patients in Europe, where it was approved in 2011 to treat obesity through gastric stimulation, its investors, physician perspective, and the intent to conduct more trials in order to seek FDA approval in the United States. (Bloomberg News)
Deep Brain Stimulation Surgeon Explains the Treatment in a Radio InterviewOct. 9, 2012 - Peter Silburn, MD, PhD, professor of Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Queensland in Australia, discusses deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease, which he says now often is considered sooner rather than later, since it can provide profound relief. (ABC Local Conversations) Australia Radio Show Presents Excerpt from a Biography about Deep Brain StimulationOct. 7, 2012 - The radio program Ockham's Razor presents an excerpt from a book by Sally Hunter, "You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down – From Parkinson’s To A New Life With Deep Brain Stimulation". (abc.net.au) Neurosurgeon Describes Using Intraoperative CT to Position Deep Brain Stimulation LeadsJan. 25, 2012 - Kim Burchiel, MD, a member of the editorial board for the International Neuromodulation Society's journal Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, describes a method of performing deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease with the patient under general anesthesia while brain targets are located using an intraoperative CT scanner, Neurologica's CereTom.
Research Indicates Opioid Receptors Involved in Pain Relief from Spinal Cord StimulationOct. 5, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Lisa Johanek, PhD, and colleagues report that a research study in rats indicates that relief of chronic neuropathic pain through spinal cord stimulation (SCS) appears to be mediated in part through opioid receptor mechanisms, with 4-Hz SCS activating μ-opioid receptors while 60-Hz SCS activated δ-opioid receptors. (European Journal of Pain) Results Published in Multi-Center Study of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Relief of MigraineOct. 3, 2012 - Writing in the journal Cephalgia, 10 members of the International Neuromodulation Society, with lead author Stephen D. Silberstein, MD, and eight others, describe results of a randomized, multi-center, double-blinded, controlled study of occipital nerve stimulation for the management of chronic migraine. The authors conclude in their abstract that although treatment missed the study endpoint of at least 50% reduction in pain, the nerve stimulation did yield "significant reductions in pain, headache days, and migraine-related disability. Additional controlled studies using endpoints that have recently been identified and accepted as clinically meaningful are warranted in this highly disabled patient population with a large unmet medical need." (Cephalgia)
Study Shows Benefits of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation in MigraineOct. 3, 2012 - St. Jude Medical, Inc. announced results from 15 centers in the U.S. in which 157 study participants who received peripheral nerve stimulation of the occipital nerves experienced six fewer headache days per month after 12 weeks of stimulation. The results were published online by Cephalagia, the journal of the International Headache Society. (Yahoo Finance) Defense Department Funds Study of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation to Treat Stump Pain Oct. 3, 2012 - The U.S. Department of Defense has given $2.77 million to Cleveland-area device maker SPR Therapeutics and NDI Medical to test its external pain-relief peripheral nerve stimulation system, Smartpatch, in veterans suffering from post-amputation pain. (Plain Dealer) National Institutes of Health Funds Investigation of Infrared Laser Nerve Stimulation Concept for Prosthesis Sept. 28, 2012 - The National Institutes of Health Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders has awarded the maker of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, Vixar, a Small Business Innovation Research grant for a miniaturized infrared laser for optically based neuroprosthesis. Lockheed Martin Corp. is a sub-awardee evaluating if the new laser has sufficient power and compactness. Infrared stimulation would offer much better selectivity in cochlear implants, permitting more independent channels without current spreading. (Vixar)
Israeli Exoskeleton Maker Plans a U.S. Headquarters in MassachusettsOct. 2, 2012 - Argo Medical Technologies Ltd. announced it will open U.S. headquarters in Marlborough, Mass, as part of its entry into the U.S. market for its exoskeleton that allows paraplegics to walk. The ReWalk device is currently available for use at rehabilitation centers by multiple users, according to news reports. CE Mark approval was received in 2010 for the Israel company's system. (Boston.com) Hand Prosthesis Maker Creates Version Appropriate for Smaller and Younger AmputeesOct. 1, 2012 - Touch Bionics of Livingston, Scotland, has announced release of a compact version of its hand prosthesis that includes individual artificial fingers whose action is powered by batteries in a wristband. This version allows the i-Limb Digit to be fitted to smaller persons, as well as young teen-agers or possibly younger people, the company said. (The Scotsman)
News Feature Article Explores Neurostimulator Company's Status and Market ProspectsOct. 1, 2012 - Cyberonics' vagus nerve stimulators have been implanted in 55,000 U.S. patients with treatment-resistant depression since 1997; business in Europe is growing in double digits, and approval was received in Japan for the treatment of refractory epilepsy two years ago, where about 350,000 potential patients have treatment-resistant epilepsy. The $24,500 device's generator is about 3/4 of the total cost, and must be periodically replaced. Possible future markets may include depression and chronic heart failure. (Investor's Business Daily)
Researchers Check Gait and Balance Effects of Spinal Cord StimulationSept. 25, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Leon Vonhögen, MD, and colleagues report in the journal Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface that a group of 11 spinal cord stimulation patients did not show changes in normal gait that might explain increased incidence of falls that frequently lead to lead migrations. Four of the group did have an effect on static balance, suggesting more assessment with balance and gait tasks is desirable. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface)
Review Confirms Utility of Spinal Cord Stimulation for Refractory Amputation PainSept. 25, 2012 - Spinal cord stimulation for treatment of amputation pain that is otherwise resistant to treatment merits continued use, conclude a team of authors who reviewed all such cases managed over 20 years in the Neurostimulator Clinic at the Royal London Hospital. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface)
Calgary Health Institute Seeks Youths with Treatment-Resistant Depression for Study of Transcranial Magnetic StimulationSept. 25, 2012 - The Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health is recruiting 50 patients between 12 and 21 years old to participate in a study of transcranial magnetic stimulation in treatment-resistant depression. (Calgary Herald) Company to Present External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation System at London Epileptology MeetingSept. 25, 2012 - At the 10th European Congress on Epileptology in London, NeuroSigma, Inc.'s external trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) system, Monarch eTNS, will be subject to a symposium Sept. 30 on TNS for epilepsy and neuropsychiatric disorders. Among the presenters will be International Neuromodulation Society member Ian Cook, MD, NeuroSigma senior medical advisor and professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles. (Sacramento Bee) Psychology Study Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Suggests Possible Stimulation TargetSept. 24, 2012 - Research at the University College of London on the optimism bias, using transcranial magnetic stimulation to disrupt the left or right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in 30 volunteer subjects, implies to the lead author a potential clinical application for boosting optimism in depressed individuals by targeting the right IFG. (The Scientist)
Sept. 24, 2012 - Apnex Medical of St. Paul, Minn. has raised an additional $10 million to support its randomized clinical trial of its hypoglossal nerve stimulation system to treat obstructive sleep apnea. (MedCity News)
CE Mark Approval Announced for Family of Neurostimulators to Treat Intractable Chronic MigraineSept. 20, 2012 - St. Jude Medical Inc. has received CE Mark approval for its Eon family of neurostimulators for patients with intractable chronic migraine. The company previously received CE Mark approval for European marketing of the industry's first-approved implanted neurostimulation device for this indication, the Genesis system. The new approvals include the rechargeable Eon mini and Eon systems and EonC (a non-chargeable option). (St. Jude Medical)
Israel Medical Center's Deep Brain Stimulation Service Receives News CoverageSept. 20, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Zvi Israel, MBBS BSc, was interviewed about Hadassah Medical Center, where he is senior lecturer of functional neurosurgery, currently testing deep brain stimulation for use in Israel, since it may potentially help patients who have not responded to traditional medicine and therapy. An earlier feature about the Jerusalem hospital's involvement in an international trial of DBS in treatment-resistant depression appeared in Haaretz. (The JC.com) U.S. Firm Partners with German Company to Fund Trial of Vagus Nerve Stimulation in EpilepsySept. 20, 2012 - Cyberonics, Inc. has invested EUR 2 million in cerbomed GmbH, becoming a minority shareholder and financing a current clinical trial in Germany of cerbomed's transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation device, Nemos, for the treatment of epilepsy. Commercially available in Germany and Austria, the system received CE Mark approval for the treatment of epilepsy and depression in 20120, and pain in 2012. Houston-based Cyberonics developed and markets an FDA-approved vagus nerve stimulation system for the treatment of medically refractory epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression. Under the agreement, Cyberonics may invest up to EUR 5.5 million and optionally conduct a Nemos clinical trial in the U.S. (4-traders.com) FDA Permits Clinical Trial of Externally Powered Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Device for Post-Stroke Shoulder PainSept. 20, 2012 - Cleveland-based SPR Therapeutics has received clearance from the FDA to begin a randomized, controlled clinical trial of a minimally invasive peripheral nerve stimulation system for treating post-stroke shoulder pain. The system, Smartpatch, uses an external battery that snaps onto an adhesive patch to stimulate a lead placed on the deltoid muscle during an office procedure. About 60 patients will be enrolled in the safety and efficacy trial set to begin by the end of the year. (MedCity News)
Company to Show Preclinical Data on Non-Invasive Stimulation for HeadacheSept. 19, 2012 -- ElectroCore Medical announced that preclinical data about suppression of trigeminal nerve pain, related to its non-invasive GammaCore vagus nerve stimulator, will be featured in a poster session at the European Headache and Migraine Trust International Congress (EHMTIC) Sept. 20-23 in London. (PR Newswire)
Single Electrode Insertion Can Allow Target Options for Deep Brain Stimulation in Essential TremorSept. 17, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Won Seok Chang, MD and Jin Woo Chang, MD, PhD and colleagues at the Yonsei College of Medicine in Seoul report a series of five patients with essential tremor in which they implanted deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes that could stimulate both the ventralis intermedius nucleus of thalamus (Vim) and the posterior subthalamic area (PSA). Neither target was statistically superior, but it was possible to choose the best stimulation for each patient based on individual responses. They conclude this approach may be useful to allow options of applying DBS to Vim, PSA, or Vim + PSA. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface)
Spinal Cord Stimulation, Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation Reported to Reduce Pain in Failed Back Surgery Syndrome PatientsSept. 17, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Claudio Reverberi, MD, Alessandro Dario, MD, and Giancarlo Barolat, MD, report in Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface about eight patients with failed back surgery syndrome through combined spinal cord stimulation with peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNfS). In four of the patients, PNfS was added to provide greater coverage of the lumbar region. The authors say pain was significantly reduced, and quality of life dramatically improved. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface) High-Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation Treatment Success Recounted in First-Person AccountSept. 17, 2012 - A patient with failed back surgery syndrome describes how his pain was resolved after trying high-frequency spinal cord stimulation, recommended by his physician, International Neuromodulation Society member Ganesan Baranidharan, MB BS, FRCA, FFPMRCA, PG Dip (anaes). (Mail Online) High-Profile Parkinson's Patient Describes Improvement Following Deep Brain Stimulation TreatmentSept. 17, 2012 - Nine months after receiving deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease, the Nashville Predators' former associate hockey coach Brent Peterson describes his symptom improvements. (USA Today) Study Documents Comparative Efficacy of Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Patients with Post-Traumatic EpilepsySept. 14, 2012 - Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) appears particularly promising for patients with post-traumatic-brain-injury epilepsy (PTE) when the condition does not respond to medication or is unsuitable for resection, a team reports after conducting a case-controlled retrospective analysis that found this population of patients had even fewer seizures at 3- and 24-month follow-up than patients with non-PTE. Patients with PTE had 50% fewer seizures at 3 months, and 76% fewer at 24 months, compared to non-PTE patients, who had 46% fewer at 3 months and 57% fewer at 24 months. (Journal of Neurosurgery)
Brain Research Suggests Future Therapeutic Neural Interface Possibilities
Sept. 14, 2012 - The New York Times presents preclinical research that raises the possibility of a future device that might bypass areas of damage in certain brain conditions, providing an alternative connection. (New York Times)
Medical Technology Developer Discusses Market Plans for Epilepsy Device in Europe
Sept. 14, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Leon Ekchian, PhD, was interviewed in a lengthy article about plans of NeuroSigma, Inc. -- of which he is president and CEO -- to market its Monarch external trigeminal nerve stimulation system in the European Union in the fourth quarter of 2012 for the treatment of epilepsy. (News Medical)
Analysis Shows Comparative Medication Cost Savings of Deep Brain Stimulation Treatment for Parkinson's Disease
Sept. 13, 2012 - Parkinson's disease medication use and costs decreased in 161 patients whose records were analyzed following deep brain stimulation surgery. After three years, the decrease was slightly greater for patients in whom the subthalamic nucleus was the stimulation target, compared to those whose target was the globus pallidum. (Movement Disorders)
Case Report: Patient Experiences Reduction in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Tourette's Syndrome Symptoms Following Deep Brain Stimulation
Sept. 13, 2012 - A report from Australia describes a woman treated with deep brain stimulation targeting her nucleus accumbens to improve symptoms of her treatment-resistant obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette's syndrome. The bilateral stimulation resulted in immediate improvement in OCD and tic severity. Eight months later, there was a 90% improvement in OCD symptoms (which she had found most disabling, and so were the main therapeutic focus) and a 57% improvement in tic severity. (BMJ Case Reports)
Article Describes Brain-Mapping and Emerging Neuroscience-Based Therapies
Sept. 13, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Sean Mackey, MD, PhD, is quoted in an article about brain mapping and investigational therapies, such as using neurofeedback to control chronic pain. (Los Angeles Times)
Lab Research Contributes to Understanding of Memory Formation
Sept. 13, 2012 - Researchers from Case Western Reserve University used electrical stimulation to the hippocampus of rat brains and observed memory-like patterns of neuron activity that survived for about 10 seconds. The research may be an early step in understanding problems in memory caused by neurodegenerative disease. (Discover)
Patent Describes Lead Fixation System
Sept. 13, 2012 - A U.S. patent issued Sept. 12, 2012 and assigned to Medtronic, Inc. describes an implantable lead and fixation system intended to offer a minimally invasive technique for reducing migration. The description states the lead might be implanted within the epidural region, or near a sacral foramen. Wire-like elements with elastic or super-elastic properties would expand outward to form the fixation mechanism. (Equities.com)
New York-Area Neurostimulation Training Opportunities Announced
Sept. 12, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Luis Fandos, MD, co-founder of New York Pain Consultants, announced his practice has been selected by Medtronic, Inc., to provide one-on-one or small-group training in neurostimulation therapies and intrathecal drug delivery, including patient selection, spinal cord stimulation trial screening, spinal cord implant procedures, and pumps trial and implant procedures. (redOrbit.com)
Television Segment Tracks Patient's Success with Deep Brain Stimulation to Treat Chronic Facial Pain
Sept. 11, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Jonathan Miller, MD, is featured in a television segment about a patient whose facial pain from anesthesia dolorosa was relieved with deep brain stimulation. (redOrbit.com)
Interactive Video Game Invites Players to Assist Deep Brain Stimulation Implantation
September 2012 - Edheads offers an online interactive video game that introduces the steps taken during deep brain stimulation surgery for Parkinson's disease. The site also offers images of the surgery from the Ohio State University. (surgery-games.org)
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Improved Post-Stroke Swallowing in Pilot Study
Sept. 10, 2012 - A pilot study of 16 patients with acute post-stroke dysphagia showed that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the affected area of the motor cortex plus swallowing training improved swallowing. In addition, the study at the Seoul National University College of Medicine also showed increased metabolic activity, revealed in PET scans, in the hemisphere of the brain that was not affected by stroke after motor cortex stimulation, suggesting that tDCS activates a large area of the cortical network involved in swallowing recovery. The study by Nam-Jong Paik, MD, PhD was reported in the July issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience. (ADVANCE for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists)
Brain-Computer Interface Research Profiled
Sept. 5, 2012 - The challenges and promise of brain-computer interfaces for restoring some activity to tetraplegics was profiled in the Brown Daily Herald, including an interview with International Neuromodulation Society member John Donoghue, PhD, who co-leads the BrainGate2 clinical trial and is a professor of neuroscience at Brown University. (Brown Daily Herald)
Heart Failure Patients are Sought by Detroit Hospital for Participation in Neurostimulation Clinical Trial
Sept. 6, 2012 - Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit is seeking patients who have been diagnosed with heart failure to join the BioControl Medical's INNOVATE-HF clinical trial of vagus nerve stimulation using the CardioFit system. (CBS Detroit)
Spinal Cord Stimulation for Back Pain is Featured on Local Television
Sept. 6, 2012 - A Tennessee television station features a patient who used spinal cord stimulation to relieve her back pain of 20 years. (WRCB TV)
Review Summarizes Current Clinical Trials of Neurostimulation for Epilepsy, and Research Reports About Mechanisms
Sept. 4, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Chengyuan Wu, MD and Ashwini Sharan, MD have published a review of surgery-based neurostimulation approaches to the treatment of medically refractive epilepsy, evaluating 189 research reports published since 1938 to analyze current understanding of the mechanism of action and outcomes, as well as offering a table of ongoing related clinical trials. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface)
Review Compares Brain Targets in Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease
September 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Nader Pouratian, MD, and co-authors write in a review of deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease that they have been selecting the globus pallidus internus as the surgical target much more frequently than the subthalamic nucleus. They add it is their view that the goal is to improve the patient’s quality of life and not necessarily to reduce medication dosages maximally, and target selection in each case should be based on a patient's individual characteristics. (Dovepress)
Dutch Researchers' Model Indicates Sacral Neuromodulation for Fecal Incontinence is Economical and Effective
Sept. 5, 2012 - Statistical modeling indicates that the use of sacral neuromodulation in fecal incontinence leads to a higher success rate after five years compared to dynamic graciloplasty and artificial bowel sphincter surgery, and costs approximately half as much, using data from the Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands. The results were reported in Colorectal Disease on Sept. 3, 2012. (medwireNews)
Editorial Acknowledges Value of Brain-Mapping Interfaces for Understanding Brain Function
Sept. 4, 2012 - An editorial describes the value of electrocorticography in epilepsy patients who are willing to volunteer to have implanted electrode grids placed on their cortex during neurosurgery. These interfaces allow researchers to map brain function or safely and reversibly temporarily mimic language comprehension impairment, similar to a degenerative condition, semantic dementia. Results were presented at the British Neuropsychological Society's spring conference. (The Observer via Taipei Times)
Case Report Details Use of Robotic Leg Controlled by a Brain-Computer Interface
Sept. 3, 2012 - Researchers have demonstrated the ability to operate a robotic leg in an able-bodied subject who used a noninvasive brain-computer interface and motor imagery. (Technology Review)
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients Showed Improvement After Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation in Single-Center Trial
Sept. 3, 2012 - ImTherma Medical, Inc. of San Diego, Calif. announced that results of a study of 13 patients with obstructive sleep apnea who received targeted hypoglossal nerve stimulation will be published in the European Respiratory Journal, and showed significant and sustained response in the 76% who responded to therapy. (Herald Online)
Scientific Basis for a Targeted Neurostimulation System to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Aug. 31, 2012 - Targeted neurostimulation of the proximal hypoglossal nerve in the neck along with selective, cyclic activation of multiple muscle groups involved in maintaining an airway mitigates muscle fatigue and mimics natural motor activity of the tongue, report research collaborators led by Faisal N. Zaidi, PhD, director of research at Imthera Medical, Inc. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface)
Pilot Study of Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation in Amputees Supports Feasibility Trial
Aug. 30, 2012 - A pilot study of 10 individuals with transtibial amputation and persistent pain supports a feasibility trial to test using transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation to reduce pain, the authors state. (Pain Practice)
Referral to Specialty Clinic for Fecal Incontinence - Overviews for Patients and Physicians Uploaded to International Neuromodulation Society Website
August 2012 - The latest information about emerging indications for neuromodulation, authored by members of the International Neuromodulation Society, concerns considerations for patients with persistent, severe fecal incontinence -- including sacral nerve stimulation, one of the leading surgical interventions in such cases. (International Neuromodulation Society)
Neuroprosthetics Research is Highlighted in a Magazine that Presents Popular Science
Aug. 30, 2012 - Miguel A. L. Nicolelis, MD, PhD, neurosciences professor at the Duke University School of Medicine, writes in Scientific American about neuroprosthetics and his laboratory's goal to have the first kick of the 2014 World Cup be made by a paralyzed individual wearing a thought-controlled exoskeleton. (Scientific American via Salon)
Israel Movement Disorders Center Receives Notice for Its Deep Brain Stimulation Service
Aug. 30, 2012 - The Israel News Service describes deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy delivered to a Palestinian resident of Judea and Samaria who had exhausted options after 12 years with early onset Parkinson's disease. The news report said the Movement Disorders Center at Rambam Medical Center where he received his implant in June has become known in other parts of the Middle East since it first began offering this therapy in 2008, and has treated approximately 25 DBS patients up to now. (Arutz Sheva)
New Modes of Thought May Help to Better Understand the Mechanisms of Deep Brain Stimulation, Neurology Professor Says
Aug. 29, 2012 - In "The Epistemology of Deep Brain Stimulation and Neuronal Pathophysiology," University of Alabama at Birmingham Professor of Neurology Erwin Montgomery Jr., MD, discusses examining underlying presumptions in order to try to better understand the mechanisms of deep brain stimulation. (Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience)
Biophysical Models May Help Elucidate Best Designs of Deep Brain Stimulation Closed-Loop Systems, Authors Contend
Aug. 29, 2012 - Closed-loop stimulation systems that take into account biophysical models that simulate electrical and metabolic activity will help validate experimental data recorded in human patients, state a team of authors from Canada and France in a perspective article highlighting benefits of neural mass and neural field models for understanding brain tissue dynamics. (Frontiers in Neuroscience)
Spinal Cord Stimulation System CE Mark Approval Includes Head-Only Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scans
Aug. 28, 2012 - Boston Scientific Corporation's CE Mark approval of its Precision Plus spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system for peripheral nerve stimulation to treat trunk pain includes approval for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) head-only scans. In an announcement, the company quotes International Neuromodulation Socieity President Simon Thomson, MD: "As spinal cord stimulation becomes more widespread for control of severe disabling refractory pain, it is great to know that -- should the need arise -- head-only MRI scans can be safely performed in patients with the Precision Plus SCS System." (Bloomberg)
Case Study Report: Combined Spinal Cord, Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation Achieves Pain Relief
Aug. 28, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Y. Eugene Mironer, MD, and colleague Timothy R. Monroe, MD have published a case report describing a new modality that achieved reduced pain and reliance on opioid pain relief in a patient suffering from bilateral postherniorrhaphy. The authors used spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and peripheral nerve field stimulation ( with the combined abbreviation SPN) to treat the patient's neuropathic inguinal pain, using only one generator and modest electric consumption. They say SPN pain relief may be due to anodal stimulation traveling from the SCS lead along the path of highest conductivity to stimulate the spinal cord and, often, nerve roots. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface)
Hand-Held Vagus Nerve Stimulation System Described
Aug. 18, 2012 An external, hand-held vagus nerve stimulator that is undergoing clinical trials for migraine and cluster headaches, developed by U.S.-based ElectroCore, is described in a news feature article. A version of the device is also undergoing clinical trial in Canada as an adjunctive treatment for asthmatics with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who are hospitalized for bronchitis. (Daily Mail)
Neurotech Leaders Forum Set for Oct. 22-23 in San Francisco, California
August 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society Director-at-Large Jamie Henderson, MD, will deliver a keynote address about transitioning neuromodulation technology from the laboratory to clinic during the 2012 Neurotech Leaders Forum, to be held at the San Francisco Airport-based Radisson Hotel from Oct. 22-23. Dr. Henderson, director of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery at the Stanford University School of Medicine, will speak on Monday, Oct. 22. The two-day investment and management conference covers implantable and noninvasive technologies, as well as featuring presentations by early stage companies. (Neurotech Reports)
Research: Deep Brain Stimulation Appears to Control Tremor by Synchronizing Nerve Firing
Aug. 28, 2012 - Nerves in the cerebral cortex fire in response to individual pulses during deep brain stimulation, which suggests that the therapy may synchronize the firing of nerve cells and break abnormal rhythms associated with involuntary movements in Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. Researchers tracked this phenomenon by measuring electrical activity in the brain while suppressing signals from the electrical stimulation itself. (University of Alabama at Birmingham)
Migraine Sufferer Discusses Her Successful Neurostimulation Treatment on Texas News Show
Aug. 27, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Jack Chapman, M.D., and a patient who received a neurostimulation implant last year to relieve her almost-daily migraines, appeared on the television talk show Great Day Houston to discuss the treatment. (Great Day Houston)
Cardiology Professor Presents Pre-clinical Study Showing Potential Benefits of Continuous Spinal Cord Stimulation in Heart Failure
Aug. 27, 2012 - Research presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich this week describes a study of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in a porcine model of heart failure. The study by Hung-Fat Tse, MD, PhD, William MW Mong Professor in Cardiology at The University of Hong, showed both continuous and intermittent SCS improved heart function compared to medical management alone, with continuous SCS leading to a better profile of biomarkers that indicate severity of heart failure. (MedicalXpress)
Vanderbilt University is Participating in Study of Deep Brain Stimulation in Treatment-Resistant Unipolar Depression
Aug. 27, 2012 - Vanderbilt University Medical Center will be recruiting patients with treatment-resistant unipolar depression for the BROADEN clinical trial (BROdmann Area 25 DEep brain Neuromodulation). It is one of several centers participating in the deep brain stimulation (DBS) study. Following the study period, patients will have the option of participating in long-term follow-up study, continuing with DBS care, or discontinuing DBS. (Vanderbilt Medicine)
Obesity Study to Investigate Regulating Brain Reward Centers Through Neurostimulation
Aug. 25, 2012 - Calling the INS' North American Neuromodulation Society chapter president Ali Rezai, MD, a pioneer, The Columbus Dispatch quotes him and INS member Michael Oh, MD, about a recently approved obesity study he will lead at Ohio State University. In it, five patients who have been unable to keep weight off after bariatric surgery will undergo an investigation of deep brain stimulation targeting reward centers involved in driving behavior. (The Columbus Dispatch)
Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Pain to be Topic of Conference Presentation
Aug. 23, 2012 - Cerbomed GmgH will present its transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation pain-relief therapy at the International Association for the Study of Pain's 14th World Congress on Pain from Aug. 27 - 31 in Milan. The German company's therapy is CE-Mark approved for marketing in Europe, and uses electrical pulses to stimulate the vagus nerve through the skin at the side of the neck. (Herald Online)
Complaint Handling and Catheter Processes are Focus of FDA Inquiry
Aug. 22, 2012 - To follow up on monitoring new programs by Medtronic to improve handling complaints, such as those about its SynchroMed II implantable drug pump, the FDA has proposed meeting with the Minneapolis-based company on Sept. 7, according to comments made by the company's chief financial officer in a quarterly earnings call. (Mass Device)
U.K. Patient Receives Implant in Trial of Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Heart Failure
Aug. 22, 2012 - The BBC reported on what is believed to be the first patient implanted with a particular type of vagus nerve stimulator in a clinical trial to determine if the intervention will limit stress exerted on the heart due to heart failure, reduce swelling, and improve quality of life. (BBC News)
Patent Application Calls For Shape-Memory Polymer to Allow Repositioning of Sacral Nerve Stimulation Lead Prior to Anchoring
Aug. 22, 2012 - A patent application assigned to Medtronic describes a sacral nerve stimulation lead fixation system for urinary incontinence that includes at least one shape memory polymer portion that can be activated after the electrode is positioned, allowing anchoring to occur after repositioning, if necessary. (Equities.com)
Literature Review Shows Positive, But Still Preliminary, Evidence for Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation in Overactive Bladder
Aug. 20, 2012 - A review of evidence from 2000 to November 2011 for percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) in overactive bladder yielded for randomized controlled trials and six prospective observational studies, lasting 6-12 weeks. The review indicates PTNS is efficacious, but more high-quality evidence is needed to make any firm conclusions. (Neurology Urodynamics)
Journal Article Compares Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation and Other Treatments for Overactive Bladder
Aug. 15, 2012 - A team of researchers from Tufts University in Boston present a comparison of percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation and other treatment methods for overactive bladder. (Current Urology Reports)
Young Woman Who Received Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy for Parkinson's Disease is Featured in National News Television Segment
Aug. 20, 2012 - A television report features a relatively young Parkinson's disease patient and her successful deep brain stimulation surgery. (NBC News)
Research Report Evaluates Implications of Obesity and Addiction Neuroimaging for Deep Brain Stimulation
Aug. 15, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Ali Rezai, MD, and John Corrigan, PhD, have published a report along with a Medtronic Fellow in Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurery for 2010 - 2011, Alexander Taghva, MD, evaluating the implications of obesity and brain addiction circuitry for deep brain stimulation. Based on multiple lines of independent data that suggest behaviors leading to obesity may be associated with dysfunction of reward circuitry, they propose a neuromodulation strategy geared toward regulating those frontolimibc circuits, either employed alone or in conjunction with therapies targeting hypothalamus-based homeostatic mechanisms. (Neurosurgery)
Neural Code From Retina Could Help Improve Visual Prosthetics, Researchers Say
Aug. 13, 2012 - Researchers at Columbia University in New York City say they have demonstrated an improved concept for retinal prosthetics that might bring capabilities into the realm of normal vision by driving stimulators with the retina's neural code in a mouse model. Combined with high-resolution stimulation, they say, using 9,800 optogenetically stimulated ganglion cell responses could approach normal image representation. (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Patient Exhibits Paresthesia to the Hands and Arms During Spinal Cord Stimulation Trial
Aug. 17, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Richard B. North, M.D. and colleagues report a case that confirms a physiological basis for unusual paresthesia to the hands and arms during a spinal cord stimulation trial targeted to a low thoracic area in a patient with failed back surgery syndrome. (Journal of Neurosurgery)
News Interview: Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery Advances in Australia
Aug. 16, 2012 - Australia may see deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery over the next few years for conditions other than Parkinson's disease, dystonia and Tourette's syndrome, according to a 17-minute audio podcast with Director from the Asia-Pacific Centre for Neuromodulation, Professor Helen Chenery, speaking about the aging population and growth of DBS treatment by Queensland-based specialists. (612 ABC Brisbane)
New Zealand Professor Documents Reduction in Tics for Tourette's Syndrome Patients Who Received Deep Brain Stimulation Implants
Aug. 16, 2012 - Ten out of 11 patients with severe Tourette’s Syndrome have reported improvement after receiving deep brain stimulation surgery, according to University of New South Wales research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. (University of New South Wales)
Spinal Cord Stimulation Success is Featured in Los Angeles Television Segment
Aug. 15, 2012 - A Los Angeles television station features a chronic pain patient who found relief from cervical pain radiating to her arms through implantation of a spinal cord stimulation system. (KABC-TV)
Pilot Study of Spinal Cord Stimulation to Relieve Symptoms of Painful Diabetic Polyneuropathy Supports Interest in a Randomized Clinical Trial
Aug. 14, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Robert van Dongen and colleagues report a pilot study of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in 15 patients with painful diabetic polyneuropathy (PDP) of the lower limbs. This potential second-line chronic pain treatment yielded clinically relevant pain relief in 10 patients by the 12th month. The authors conclude SCS seems efficacious and feasible for intractable PDP, justifying a randomized clinical trial. (British Journal of Anesthesia)
Berlin Hospital: Hypoglossal Stimulation System is Implanted in a Patient with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Aug. 14, 2012 - Implantation of a hypoglossal nerve stimulator for obstructive sleep apnea was reported to have been performed in a patient at the Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin. (Science Daily)
Malta Hospital Begins Offering Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery
Aug. 14, 2012 - Mater Dei Hospital in Malta is offering deep brain stimulation surgery for a number of patients, most of whom have Parkinson's disease, under the auspices of a U.K.-based surgeon from Matla. (Times of Malta)
Expanded Computational Model of Brain Axons Examines Motor Cortex Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease
Aug. 10, 2012 - A research team in the Netherlands has extended a computational model of motor cortex stimulation (MCS) to consider more features of axons in different depths of grey matter in order to predit which populations of axons are activated during clinically effective MCS for Parkinson's disease. The researchers say their outcome can also be useful in MCS for pain and stroke treatment and acute MCS to target the STN or GPi motor regions during DBS surgery. (Paper can be accessed within 30 days of publication by non-subcribers who register.) (IOPscience)
Closed-loop Stimulation in Rat Model of Epilepsy Reduces Seizures
Aug. 10, 2012 - An international team working out of Hungary and New York reports that seizure-triggered, feedback transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) can dramatically reduce spike-and-wave episodes in a rodent model of generalized epilepsy. (Science)
Spasticity-Treatment Infusion System Receives Green Light from FDA
Aug. 8, 2012 - Codman & Shurtleff, Inc. has received FDA approval to market its Medstream™ implantable infusion pump and catheter system that delivers the anti-spasm drug baclofen directly to the spinal canal to relieve severe spasticity, which is often caused by stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. Sales of the programmable system will be rolled out in phases throughout the next several months in the United States. (PR Newswire)
Implantation Begins in Clinical Trial of Deep Brain Stimulation to Fornix in Mild Alzheimer's Disease
Aug. 7, 2012 - Functional Neuromodulation Ltd of Toronto has initiated the ADvance Study to assess deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the fornix in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease, using Medtronic Inc.'s DBS system. The randomized double-blind controlled trial will initially enroll 20 patients aged 55-80. Participating centers include Toronto Western Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix, AZ, and the University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, and the first patient has been implanted, the company reports. (Business Wire)
Impact on Language of Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease Suggests a Role in Basal Ganglia Circuitry
Aug. 7, 2012 - A controlled study involving patients who received deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment for Parkinson's disease suggests that DBS targeting the subthalmic nucleus affects both motor and grammar (but not lexical) functions, and strengthens the view that both depend on basal ganglia circuitry, although the mechanism is not clear. (PLoS ONE)
Neuromodulation Database Developed as an Electronic Registry
Aug. 6, 2012 - A research team led by International Neuromodulation Society member Kaare Meier of the Danish Pain Research Center and Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, has published what they believe is a versatile data collection tool, available on a no-cost basis, that covers core spinal cord stimulation treatment parameters. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface)
German Researchers Compare Motor Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation Microlesions in Brain Targets for Parkinson's Disease and Dystonia
Aug. 6, 2012 - Researchers at the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich studied arm, hand and finger movements before and after deep brain stimulation surgery to better understand the clinical improvement seen from the microlesion effect. Parkinson's patients showed increased movement speed, and dystonia patients showed slower speed. The authors therefore suggest that globus pallidus internum lesions act by inhibiting a system which mainly acts upon muscular tone and limb posture whereas subthalamic stimulation or lesion causes a more unspecific disinhibition of movements. (Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry)
Tel Aviv Hospital Reports Early Experience with Deep Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy
Aug. 6, 2012 - The Jerusalem Post reports that deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for intractable epilepsy was performed recently in Tel Aviv by Prof. Itzak Fried, who is head of functional neurosurgery of Sourasky Medical Center. The paper noted that while DBS is used for Parkinson's disease, dystonia and primary tremor, its use for epilepsy is unusual in Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)
Japanese Researchers Report Motor and Pain Improvements from Spinal Cord Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease Patients
August 2012 - Writing that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is expected to improve both gait and pain in advanced-stage Parkinson's disease patients, researchers from the Department of Neurological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Okayama University Hospital report that posture and gait improved at three months and one year after SCS was initiated in 15 Parkinson's disease patients, who had low back and leg pain -- 5 men and 10 women aged 63-79 years. (Neurologia medico-chirurgica)
German Researchers Report Response to Deep Brain Stimulation in a Subset of Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression
August 2012 - Researchers at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Bonn, Germany report that of 11 patients with treatment-resistant depression who received deep brain stimulation to the nucleus accumbens, five responded to this treatment and remained sustained responders without worsening of symptoms until the last follow-up after 4 years. (Neuropsychopharmacology)
Bio-compatible Coating for Deep Brain Stimulation Electrodes is Investigated in Israel
Aug. 1, 2012 - The Engineer and Science Daily report that Aryeh Taub of Tel Aviv University’s School of Psychological Sciences, along with Prof Matti Mintz, Roni Hogri and Ari Magal of the university’s School of Psychological Sciences and Prof. Yosi Shacham-Diamand of the university’s School of Electrical Engineering, has developed a bioactive coating that "camouflages" electrodes used for deep brain stimulation and actively suppresses the brain’s immune response, according to preclinical results published in the 10.1002/jbm.a.34152 Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. (The Engineer)
Novel Brain Stimulation Method Receives Innovation Grant from NIH
July 31, 2012 - Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Highland Instruments, Inc., announced receiving a multi-year Small Business Innovation Research Grant from the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to inestigate its non-invasive neurostimulation method, which combines independently controlled electromagnetic and ultrasonic fields, for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The lead clinical investigator will be Felipe Fregni, MD, PhD, MPH, who also directs the Laboratory of Neuromodulation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and is assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. The company previously began investigating the technique to treat the central sensitization of osteoarthritis pain. (Business Wire)
July 31, 2012 - The International OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) Foundation has awarded its 2012 Outstanding Career Achievement recognition at its 19th annual conference July 28 to a medical school professor of psychiatry, Wayne K. Goodman, MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, whose practice and teaching includes treating patients with deep brain stimulation. (Equities.com)
Authors Describe Using Five-Column Paddle to Treat Pain of Raynaud's Disease
August 2012 - A published case report describes how an elderly patient with painful Raynaud disease in his neck, arm and hand benefitted, after failure of conservative measures, from spinal cord stimulation using a five-column paddle. (Pain Physician)
University of Minnesota Physical Therapy Researchers Seek Rehabilitation Clinical Trial Participants with Childhood Hemaplegia
July 28, 2012 - Calling transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) more cost-effective and portable than previous types of brain stimulation, a patient group is helping recruit young people aged 8 - 17 who have hemiplegia (weakness in one side of the body) to participate in a trial of tDCS in rehabilitation. It is believed that combining tDCS with other therapies could improve hand function more than each therapy separately. The trial is being organized by the University of Minnesota Physical Therapy Department. (Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association)
Health Publication Features Description of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
July 26, 2012 - The procedure for how repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is used in patients who might benefit due to medication-resistant depression is described in a blog post and accompanying video from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. (Harvard Health Blog)
Proof-of-Principle Experiment Shows Monkeys Improved Task Performance with Light Stimulation from Optogenetics
July 26, 2012 - A team centered at the Massachusetts General Hospital extended light-stimulation in the brains of monkeys to an entire network of cells, demonstrating the stimulation improved their ability to perform a simple computer-based task. The researchers used optogenetics to stimulate the arcuate sulcus region of the brain for the proof-of-principle experiment. (New Scientist) Team Reports Safety and Efficacy of Motor Cortex Stimulation over 12 Months in Parkinson's Patients
July 11, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Alfonso Fasano, MD, PhD; Tommaso Tufo, MD; Mario Meglio, MD and Beatrice Cioni, MD are among 16 authors who report that a nine-patient study showed safety and efficacy of motor cortex stimulation in Parkinson's disease. After 12 months, stimulation continuously delivered through a four-contact paddle above the dura to the side opposite the most-affected side of the body moderately controlled symptoms, especially axial symptoms, and quality of life. No cognitive or behavioral changes were observed. (Neurosurgery)
Research Allows Tracking of Neurotransmitter in Real Time During Deep Brain Stimulation in Tremor Patients
July 16, 2012 - Researchers at Mayo Clinic observed changes in real time in the levels of the neurotransmitter adenosine in the brains of tremor patients undergoing deep brain stimulation. Adenosine is suspected of playing a role in reducing tremor. The research is hoped to eventually contribute to creation of a "smart" system that monitors neurotransmitter levels and adjusts stimulation accordingly. International Neuromodulation Society member Kendall Lee, MD, was quoted regarding the research effort. (Medical Xpress)
New Zealand Foundation Confers Grants for Neuromodulation and Related Research
July 16, 2012 - The Neurological Foundation of New Zealand announced grants to fund research into neuromodulation's effects on memory, tinnitus, and the prevalence of Parkinson's disease and related medication consumption. (Otago Daily Times)
Stroke Patients Appear to Recover More Fully from Aphasia When Speech Therapy and Noninvasive Brain Stimulation are Coupled
July 2012 - Pairing transcranial direct current stimulation and rehabilitation therapy for stroke patients suffering from aphasia seems to boost effectiveness of speech therapy, according to work at the University College London that has involved 13 patients to date. (Aging Well)
Brain Stimulation Approaches to Treating Tobacco Addiction are Reviewed
July 11, 2012 - A literature review concludes repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation may both represent potentially novel ways to treat tobacco addiction. rTMS, for instance, was shown to decrease consumption of cigarettes. (Brain Stimulation)
Occipital Nerve Stimulation Shown in Trial to Reduce Migraine Symptoms
July 11, 2012 - Results presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Headache Society showed that a 12-week trial of occipital nerve stimulation in 125 migraine patients led to a reduction in pain and frequency of headaches in the treated group. Adverse events occurred in about half the participants, with lead migration accounting for 15% of those, and pain or numbness at the implantable pulse generator or lead site comprising another 22% of adverse events. (Clinical Psychiatry News)
Review Discusses Animal Models for Cognitive and Psychiatric Applications of Deep Brain Stimulation
July 11, 2012 - A review article discusses preclinical research that provides insights into mechanisms of deep brain stimulation with respect to cognitive and psychiatric applications. The review emphasizes the predictive validity of animal models, and their potential use in translational research. News of the publication appeared in My Health News Daily. (Science Translational Medicine)
Heart Failure Trial of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Will Expand with FDA Approval
July 11, 2012 - BioControl Medical announced FDA approval to expand a clinical trial of vagus nerve stimulation in heart failure. An initial phase involved 50 patients at 21 centers worldwide. The expanded INOVATE-HF (INcrease Of VAgal TonE in Heart Failure) trial will include up to 200 patients at 50 U.S. centers. (MarketWatch) Pilot Study Indicates Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Tinnitus Does Not Create Adverse Cardiac Effects for Patients Without Pre-existing Heart AilmentsJuly 8, 2012 - A pilot study of 24 patients with chronic tinnitus indicates that in patients who had no underlying cardiac condition, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation apparently did not cause arrhythmic effects on heart function. (Frontiers in Neuropsychiatric Imaging and Stimulation)
Study: No Difference in Benefit from Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Children with Partial or Generalized Epilepsy
July 6, 2012 - A retrospective study of 146 pediatric patients treated by a single neurosurgeon with a vagus nerve stimulation system for epilepsy showed that improvements were uniform among the patients whether the condition was partial or generalized epilepsy. This was contrary to the expectation that children with partial epilepsy would benefit at higher rates. (Journal of Neurosurgery)
Trial Investigates Brain Stimulation Target for Tourette's Syndrome
July 6, 2012 - In an open study, 11 patients with severe and medically intractable Tourette's syndrome were implanted with deep brain stimulation systems targeting the aneromedical globus pallidus interna. Overall, there was a 48% reduction in motor tics and 56.5% reduction in phonic tics at follow-up. (The American Journal of Psychiatry)
Pediatric Overactive Bladder Patients Reported to Benefit from Parasacral Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
July 2012 - In a study of 40 children with overactive bladder, researchers in Cairo found that there was significant improvement in symptoms in patients who received 20 minutes of parasacral transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation three times a week for two months, compared to the control group. They conclude this is an effective non-invasive treatment. (World Applied Sciences Journal)
Brain Stimulation in Mice Shown to Impact Key Factor in Huntington's Symptoms
July 5, 2012 - A study published in the Translational Psychiatry journal reveals the impact of brain stimulation in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Stimulation reduced output of the stress hormone cortisol from the mice's adrenal glands, indicating the systemic effects of the underlying condition and this potential intervention. (Sky News)
Early Results in Study of Potential Tinnitus Treatment are Presented at Meeting
July 5, 2012 - International Neuromodulation society member Dirk De Ridder, MD, PhD, presented initial results at the Tinnitus Research Initiative conference in Belgium on June 15 that involved 10 patients who were treated with a system that pairs bursts of vagus nerve stimulation with listening to tones. He said the results were positive with many patients experiencing a reduction in severity and perception of tinnitus. (Virtual-Strategy Magazine)
Article Summarizes Development of Epilepsy Treatments, Including Closed-loop Systems
July 5, 2012 - A news feature on new and emerging epilepsy treatments notes that the design of first-generation closed-loop systems to treat epilepsy is just beginning, while theoretical development of second-generation devices is underway. (Huffington Post)
Pilot Study Indicates Prolonged Benefit of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Post-Stroke Swallowing Therapy
July 3, 2012 - Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which applies weak electrical currents to the affected area of the brain, can enhance the outcome of swallowing therapy for post-stroke dysphagia, according to a study in the July issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience. In the pilot study of 16 patients, those that received full treatment rather than being in the control arm of the study showed significantly greater improvement at a three-month follow-up. The study was led at Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. (HealthCanal)
Company Announces Key U.S. Patents in High-Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation
June 27, 2012 - Nevro Corp. announced two key patents covering aspects of its high-frequency spinal cord stimulation system to relieve chronic leg and/or back pain, Senza. The company's proprietary high-frequency waveform technology is designed to treat challenging conditions such as low back pain while avoiding the typical side effects that can occur with currently available systems (MarketWatch)
Microscopic Magnetic Coils Might Be Feasible for Future Deep Brain Stimulation
June 26, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member John Gale, PhD, is among a team of collaborators centered at Massachusetts General Hospital that has published a proof of concept report showing that small magnetic coils might be used to stimulate neural activity in lieu of electrical contacts for deep brain stimulation. The work was published in Nature Communications. (Science Daily)
Deep Brain Stimulation Reduces Binge Eating in Mice
June 24, 2012 - Animal study results presented at the 94th Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society indicate that deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens might reduce binge eating by modulating neurons that express the type 2 dopamine receptor. (EurekAlert)
Small-Scale Studies Indicate Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Yields Improved Speech Intelligibility for Impaired Patients
June 25, 2012 - High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may be a useful tool to treat speech dysfunction in Parkinson's disease, according to an interview with University of Queensland Prof. Bruce Murdoch. He hopes to begin large-scale clinical trials based on results showing an up to 20% improvement for up to 12 months in the speech and tongue movement of Parkinson's patients. He told the New Zealand Herald that stroke patients also have better word recall within a week or two of beginning stimulation. His group published research in October in the European Journal of Neurology. (ABC News Australia)
Israeli Study in Progress to Assess Utility of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Nicotine Addiction
June 24, 2012 - A significant decrease in cigarette consumption was seen in an interim analysis of smokers who had previously been unable to quit smoking and who participated in an Israel-based trial of deep repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation ( deep rTMS). The best results were seen when high-frequency stimulation was combined with a cue that elicited an urge to smoke, the researchers said. Rather than stimulate only the first 1-2 cm of the brain, the new rTMS coil design that was used stimulates down to about 5 cm. (NoCamels - Israeli Innovation News)
Researcher Discusses Applying Computer Simulation Capabilities to Refine Targeting of Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease
June 23, 2012 - A portable tool to visualize precise regions of deep brain stimulation (DBS) could shorten programming time following DBS implantation in Parkinson's disease patients, according to a recorded seminar by Chris Butson, PhD, an associate professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In his talk, he credits a number of research collaborators, including International Neuromodulation Society members Jaimie Henderson, MD, and Brian Kopell, MD. (University of Utah Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute - YouTube)
Review Examines Deep Brain Stimulation Targets in Tourette Syndrome
June 14, 2012 - Research authors from the Baylor College of Medicine searched for reports of deep brain stimulation (DBS) and Tourette syndrome since the first report of thalamic DBS for this condition. The authors say an optimal target cannot yet be determined. They report that the literature contains follow-up reports on less than 100 patients and reported targets include thalamic centromedian nucleus and substantia periventricularis, posteroventral globus pallidus internus, ventromedial globus pallidus internus, globus pallidus externus, anterior limb of the internal capsule and nucleus accumbens. (Strereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery)
June 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Alon Mogilner, MD, PhD, and colleagues report a retrospective analysis of 22 patients who have Chiari malformation and persistent occipital headaches. Fifteen of the patients had a successful trial for neurostimulation of the occipital nerves. Thirteen of those patients reported continued pain relief at a mean follow-up of about 19 months. However, 40% of patients required additional surgeries for device-related complications. (Neurosurgery) Review: Transcutaneous Spinal Direct Current Stimulation May Have Therapeutic Potential
June 7, 2012 - Researchers in Milan review experimental evidence that transcranial spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) influences spinal function. They raise the possibility that by focally modulation spinal excitability, tsDCS could complement drugs and implanted spinal cord stimulation devices to manage pain and other conditions, perhaps aiding in neurorehabilitation and treatment of spasticity. (Frontiers in Neuropsychiatric Imaging and Stimulation) Percutaneous Placement of Paddle Leads Investigated in Prospective Study
June 1, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members David Loge, MD, Olivier De Coster, MD, and Stephanie Washburn, PhD, investigated percutaneous placement of paddle leads in 34 patients at two centers, finding the implantation was safe, taking an average of about nine minutes, and the leads could be advanced by four vertebral segments in more than half the patients. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface) Results Published in Study on Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation for Overactive Bladder
June 6, 2012 - In an online ahead-of-print research paper in Neurourology and Urodynamics, 24 months of experience using percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation for overactive bladder in 35 patients is reported. The trial demonstrated initial success after 12 weekly treatments, followed by a tapering off period of 14 weeks. The U.S.-based STEP Study on percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation used Uroplasty, Inc.'s Urgent® PC Neuromodulation System. (PR Newswire) Brain Finding May Enable Future Visual Prosthetic
June 4, 2012 - Collaborators at medical schools in Texas have found an illusion of a flash of light can be created when the brain's tempooparietal junction is active and the occipital lobe is electrically stimulated. The finding is a basic step toward potentially creating a visual prosthetic that bypasses the eye. (Newswise) Research Study Compares Peripheral, Spinal and Combined Stimulation for Treating Persistent Neuropathic Post-Hernia Pain
June 1, 2012 - A team of researchers centered at the Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany, report comparing peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS), spinal cord stimulation (SCS), and a combination to treat persistent neuropathic post-hernia pain in four patients in a double-blinded trial. The combined PNFS and SCS provided the most pain reduction. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface) Journal Article Presents Clinical Experience with Percutaneous Paddle Leads for Spinal Cord Stimulation
June 1, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members Stefan Schu, MD and Jan Vesper, MD, PhD, have published a report with colleagues from Dusseldorf that showed that in a prospective trial of 81 patients using a new percutaneous paddle lead to treat pain with spinal cord stimulation, clinical outcomes were good and lead migration was a low 2.5%. (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface) Electrochemical Neuroprosthesis Demonstrated in Rats Paralyzed by Partial Spinal Cord Injuries
June 1, 2012 - A Swiss research team has restored paralyzed rats' ability to walk on a treadmill and navigate over and around objects, following rehabilitation using a supportive harness and chemical and electrical spinal nerve stimulation, according to a journal article appearing today in Science magazine. The scientists say that changes in the rats' brains indicate they developed new circuits from the motor cortex that allowed them to overcome loss of use of their hind legs caused by partial severing of the spinal cord. (Science)
Journal Presents Ischemic Disorder Research
May 29, 2012 - The International Neuromodulation Society Journal Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface presents the first in a series of online virtual issues focused on specific topics. The current special online issue features seven full-text articles from 2009 - 2011 about neuromodulation in ischemic disorders, of special interest to cardiologists, vascular surgeons, or referring physicians. (Neuromodulation)
Interational Neuromodulation Society Members Among Patent Winners
May 24, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society members, Drs. Stephen Pyles and Rohan Hoare, were mentioned in a list of recent patent awardees for their invention of a method of using spinal cord stimulation to treat gastrointestinal and/or eating disorders or conditions, which was assigned to Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, Inc., Plano, Texas (now the St. Jude Medical, Inc. neuromodulation division, headed by Dr. Hoare). (Orlando Sentinel)
Laboratory Studies Suggest How Deep Brain Stimulation May Work in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
May 24, 2012 - Experiments in rats suggest that electrical stimulation of brain areas used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder may work by acting on brain circuits involved in dampening fear responses. (Nature)
Review Examines Deep Brain Stimulation in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
May 24, 2012 - Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital reviewed the literature to examine putative effects of deep brain stimulation on obsessive compulsive disorder at the level of neurons and brain circuits. (Frontiers in Neuroscience) Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Reduced Fibromyalgia Pain in Pilot Study
Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, International Neuromodulation Society member M. Bret Schneider, MD, announced plans for a controlled study of about 40 fibromyalgia patients using an investigational, four-coil device for transcranial magnetic stimulation. The intended investigation would follow a pilot study that showed sustained pain relief from noninvasive stimulation of the dorsal anterior cingulate, which is theorized to cause long-term potentiation. PET scanning showed reduced metabolic activity to that region following the course of investigational treatment. (Family Practice News) Laboratory Study Examines Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation Target on Reward Processing
May 22, 2012 - Researchers from the University of Magdeburg, Germany studied the response to laboratory exercises in a volunteer patient who had overcome alcohol addiction since receiving a deep brain stimulation (DBS) implant in 2008. PET scanning and behavioral data showed active stimulation was associated with somewhat slower and less risky choices, implying a more impulsive, riskier and less controlled behavior when neural activity was not modulated by DBS. (PLoS ONE)
Several Studies of Neuromodulation Mentioned in Popular News Article
May 21, 2012 - In an overview article of emerging therapeutic uses for electrical neuromodulation, a popular article features increasing interest in stimulation devices as a safe and effective option for patients who do not respond to other treatments. The article points out the stimulation has few side-effects because it is a localized treatment, and can be used in conjunction with other therapies. The piece mentions a number of recent studies of neuromodulation in patients who have facial pain, cystitis, incontinence or high blood pressure. (Mail Online)
Retrospective Study Tracks Effectiveness of Cervical Spinal Cord Stimulation
May 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Kristin Kieselbach, MD, and Tilman Wolter, MD, report a retrospective study of 18 patients who had permanent cervical spin cord stimulation (SCS) implants from Nov. 1, 2011 - Oct. 31, 2011. The physicians conclude that cervical spinal cord stimulation appears effective to treat neuropathic upper limb pain, without significantly more frequent complications than SCS for lower limb pain. (Pain Physician Journal)
Overactive Bladder Treatment Guidance from the American Urological Association Includes Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation
May 21, 2012 - The American Urological Association issued clinical guidance, "Diagnosis and Treatment of Overactive Bladder (Non-Neurogenic) in Adults," which includes percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation as an integral part of the care path for overactive bladder treatment. (PR Newswire)
Tibial Nerve Stimulation for Fecal Incontinence is Described for Outpatient Use
June 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Charles Knowles and colleagues describe and demonstrate percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation for fecal incontinence that can be performed in a nurse-led clinic or outpatient or community setting. The authors report an overall early success rate that compares favorably with other forms of neuromodulation, including sacral neuromodulation, and plan to report long-term outcome data, when completed, in more than 100 patients. (Diseases of the Colon & Rectum)
Study: Transcraneous Direct-Current Stimulation Reduces Auditory Hallucinations in Schizophrenic Patients
May 18, 2012 - Research reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry involving 30 patients with schizophrenia who experienced persistent daily auditory verbal hallucinations despite medication showed in a sham stimulation-controlled study that transcutaneous direct-current stimulation (tDCS) reduced auditory verbal hallucinations by an average of 31%. The effect lasted for up to 3 months, and tDCS also eased some other symptoms of schizophrenia. (Medscape Today)
Apparent Memory Effect of Entorhinal Deep Brain Stimulation Target for Epilepsy Intrigues Researchers
May 17, 2012 Researchers from the U.S., Japan and Germany wrote to the New England Journal of Medicine to suggest ways to clarify findings, in further research, reported in February in which patients with medically resistant epilepsy were found to have improved spatial learning following electrical stimulation of the entorhinal area of the brain. If elucidated, they said, the finding might serve as a starting point for future neuromodulatory interventions aimed at treating disorders with medial temporal-lobe dysfunction and associated cognitive dysfunction. (New England Journal)
Tibial Nerve Stimulation to be Examined in Muscular and Cortical Response in Cerebral Palsy
May 17, 2012 - The University of Nebraska Medical Center's Center for Clinical and Translational Research has awarded about $75,000 for a pilot investigation into using peripheral nerve stimulation (of the tibial nerve) to promote muscular and cortical plasticity in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Ten children with CP and 10 without will be compared. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) will determine if stimulation of the tibial nerve can alter the responsiveness of the somatosensory cortices that represent the foot. The research will also examine the steadiness of the performance of the lower extremity joint musculature, and tactile acuity on the bottom of the foot. (UNMC)
Review: Posterior Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation Effective in Overactive Bladder, with Fewer Side-Effects Than Medication
May 11, 2012 - A systematic review of short-term studies indicates that posterior percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation provides a significant improvement in symptoms of overactive bladder with an effectiveness comparable to medication, but fewer side effects, according to an early view paper published online in the Neurourology and Urodynamics journal. (Neurourology and Urodynamics)
Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Pain-Control Effects Studied
May 9, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Prof. Jens Ellrich and colleagues report research in which transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation 48 healthy volunteers showed an increase of mechanical and pressure pain threshold and a reduction of mechanical pain sensitivity. Each subject participated in two experimental sessions with active t-VNS (stimulation) or sham t-VNS (no stimulation) on different days in a randomized (crossed-over) order. (Brain Stimulation)
Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Tested in Chronic Pelvic Pain
May 8, 2012 - A collaboration between researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Kyunghee University in Yongin, South Korea demonstrated promising pain-relief from transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in 15 patients with chronic pelvic pain. The technique, respiratory-gated auricular vagal afferent nerve stimulation (RAVANS), stimulates the auricular branch of the vagus nerve in the ear. Since the dorsal medullary vagal system operates in tune with respiration, they proposed that gating the stimulation to exhalation could optimize the analgesic effect, and found this approach was more effective than nonvagal auricular stimulation. (Pain Medicine)
Company Targets Diabetic Neuropathy with Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator
May 8, 2012 - Neurometrix's president and CEO Shai Gozani, MD, is interviewed by a business development site about the company's pre-market approval by the FDA for a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation device to treat painful diabetic neuropathy. (onemedplace)
External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation Trial in Major Depressive Disorder Results Presented
May 8, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society member Ian Cook, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles and a senior medical advisor to NeuroSigma, Inc. reported at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting about a Phase Ib trial in 11 patients in which external trigeminal nerve stimulation of medication-resistant major depressive disorder had a 50% reduction in depression after eight weeks of treatment. (PR Newswire)
Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation May be an Option for Epilepsy Patient, Physicians Report
May 3, 2012 - Seven patients with medication-resistant epilepsy were treated with transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation for nine months, leading to a reduction in seizure frequency, report physicians from the University Hospital Erlangen, Germany Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Cerbomed GmbH, and Aalborg University, Denmark. (Epilepsia)
Minimally Invasive Approach to Post-Amputation Pain Reported
May 2, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society Member James North, MD, and colleagues from Carolinas Pain Institute; The Center for Clinical Research in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Walter Reed National Military Medical Center; and SPR Therapeutics (subsidiary of NDI Medical) report on using a novel peripheral nerve stimulation approach to control residual limb pain in a patient 33 years after a below-the-knee amputation. A two-week home trial resulted in more than 60% pain reduction using a single percutaneous lead more than 1 cm from the femoral nerve. (Pain Practice) Preliminary Results Show Promise for Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Migraine
April 30, 2012 - A preliminary randomized study of 13 patients, published in the journal Headache, indicates that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the primary motor cortex creates a positive, but delayed, response in migraine, compared to the group that received sham treatment. The treated group received 10 20-minute sessions at 2 mA over four weeks. (Science Daily)
Sacral Nerve Stimulation in Chronic Pelvic Pain Cases Presented
April 23, 2012 - International Neuromodulation Society President-Elect Timothy Deer, MD, and colleagues report a case series of five patients with chronic pelvic pain in whom sacral nerve stimulation was effective in managing symptoms. (Pain Practice)
Functional Electrical Stimulation Using Brain-Computer Interface Reported in Nature
April 18, 2012 - In a report in the journal Nature [http://bit.ly/IX0gJd], a research team reports the demonstration of a brain-computer interface that records activity of motor neurons, predicts activity of muscles used in grasping, and allows the research subjects, two monkeys whose arms were temporarily paralyzed by a nerve block,to voluntarily grasp and release a ball. The researchers at Northwestern University write that the approach differs from most other functional electrical stimulation strategies, that rely on residual muscle control to trigger one or two basic grasps. (Health Canal)
Infrared Laser Light Eyed for Future Cochlear Implant Stimulation
April 11, 2012 - Laser light may be the new stimulus in cochlear implants designed to provide sound signals to the auditory nerve. Rather than using an electrical signal, light offers more targeted stimulation of inner-ear hair cells and range of sound frequencies, Popular Science reports. In vitro lab research on amphibian eggs at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University indicates that infrared laser light heats water in the cell and depolarizes its membrane, opening a channel for sodium and calcium ions — creating a normal action potential to transmit signals. (Popular Science)
First Patient in the United Kingdom to Use Gait Restoration Implant Announced
April 10 - The first patient from the United Kingdom to use a functional electrical stimulation system to restore gait was announced in a press release from Ottobock. The Duderstadt-based company's ActiGait device uses an implantable electrode to trigger flexion of the foot. (PR Newswire)
Company Reports that Diabetes, Hypertension, and Weight Loss Improve with Vagal Nerve Block
April 3, 2012 - Data from a 2.5-year vagal blocking study of 28 diabetic subjects with obesity show statistically significant improvement, including a 22% weight reduction in 19 patients who checked in at 30 months, EndoMetrics announced in a statement. A portion of the data on diabetes, hypertension and weight loss from the company's Enable study will be presented at the 24th Annual Scientific Conference of the Obesity and Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand April 11-13, 2012, in Darwin Australia. (EndoMetrics)
Small Randomized, Double-Blind Study Shows Sacral Nerve Stimulation Effectiveness in Patients with Chronic Constipation
March 20, 2012 - Of 13 patients who completed a clinical trial using sacral nerve stimulation for chronic constipation from evacuatory dysfunction and rectal hyposensitivity, most responded to sacral nerve stimulation and nine successfully went on to use the therapy long-term, according to research published by a team that includes International Neuromodulation Society member Charles Knowles of the Academic Surgical Unit, Centre for Digestive Disease, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London. (Annals of Surgery)
Technology, Including Neurostimulation, Lets Paralysis Patients Take Steps Again
March 19, 2012 - The Saturday Evening Post features patient success stories involving walking after paralysis by using an exoskeleton, or an early stage spinal cord stimulation system. The article also summarizes research into brain-machine interface development. (Saturday Evening Post)
Overactive Bladder Treatment Using Posterior Tibial Nerve Stimulation Deemed Promising
March 13, 2012 - A research team from Duke University reviewed the literature on posterior tibial nerve stimulation for the treatment of overactive bladder in women and concluded that the technique shows promise but additional high-quality data are needed. (The International Urogynecology Journal)Two-year Update Shows Alzheimer's Patient Still Doing Well with Deep Brain Stimulation
March 7, 2012 - CTV features patient Robert Linton, the 66-year-old Alzheimer's patient whose symptoms improved after a deep brain stimulation implant two years ago. (Five other patients had symptoms either remain the same or worsen.) (CTV)
Memory Enhancement and Deep-Brain Stimulation
February 8, 2012 - A research team centered at the University of California, Los Angeles reports in the New England Journal of Medicine finding that deep-brain stimulation of the entorhinal complex, which is a critical link to the hippocampus and neocortex in memory formation, improved spatial learning. The seven research subjects had received electrode implants to identify seizure-onset zones for subsequent epilepsy surgery. In the study, stimulation to the hippocampus showed no learning improvement. Results were compared between trials in which subthreshold levels of stimulation were used in half the learning attempts. Alzheimer's disease implications were reported in a variety of mainstream news media (Washington Post, New York Times, ABC News, Wall Street Journal Digital, and more). (New England Journal of Medicine)
Case Study Indicates Spinal Cord Stimulation Effective for HIV Neuropathy
February 7, 2012 - At the 6th World Congress of the World Institute of Pain, researchers reported that spinal cord stimulation relieved one patient's longstanding HIV-related polyneuropathy, according to a Medscape report. (Becker's Orthopedic, Spine & Pain Management)
Study Indicates How rTMS Corrects Abnormal Brain Connections
February 6, 2012 - Transcranial pulsed magnetic field stimulation (rTMS) facilitates reorganization of abnormal neural circuits and corrects behavioral deficits without disrupting normal connectivity, according to laboratory research at the University of Western Australia that has implications for treatment of neurological disease. The study, published in the journal FASEB (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology), provides a better understanding of how rTMS renders benefits in pioneering treatment of conditions such as Parkinson's disease, depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy and stroke. (University of Western Australia)
Study: Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation Widened Airways in a Majority of Apnea Patients
February 3, 2012 - A feasibility trial of 26 subjects at the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis, reported in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery showed increased airway dimensions in a majority of patients, as indicated by fluoroscopy. All subjects demonstrated anterior displacement of the tongue, and 65%, opening of the retropalatal airway, with 92% showing anterior displacement of the hyoid bone. (PubMed)
TENS Shown to Relieve Postoperative Pain and Nausea Following Gallbladder Surgery
February 2, 2012 - Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) significantly reduced postoperative pain in gallbladder patients compared with the placebo, researchers report in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.TENS also lowered the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting. (American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation)
Electrical Stimulation Study Suggests Method of Testing for Cervical Spine Disorders
January 17, 2012 - A study published in Spinal Cord of healthy volunteers at the Neuro Lab of Texas Woman's University, School of Physical Therapy showed multisegmental motor responses in the upper extremities after stimulation of cervical spinal vertebrae (C7). The results suggest the response may be caused by stimulating the dorsal roots or motor nuclei, which could be useful in testing patients with cervical spinal disorders. (Spinal Cord)
Effectiveness for Sacral Nerve Stimulation for Fecal Incontinence Shown for Patients Over Age 65
January 10, 2012 - Sacral nerve stimulation is an effective treatment for fecal incontinence in patients over 65 years, according to a prospective study of 30 patients with a mean age of 69.3, between 1996 - 2009, which was published in an early online view of the February 2012 issue of Colorectal Disease. (Colorectal Disease)
Children and Adolescents with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy Benefit from Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Study Says
January 6, 2012 - Vagus nerve stimulation therapy is a safe and effective adjunctive treatment for children and adolescents of all ages with drug-resistant epilepsy, based on a study at the Epilepsy Diagnostic and Therapeutic Centre, Foundation of Epileptology, in Warsaw, Poland of 57 individuals with drug-resistant epilepsy by Drs. Beata Majkowska-Zwolińska, P. Zwoliński, M. Roszkowski, and K. Drabik, published online in an early view of the latest edition of the journal Child's Nervous System. (PubMed)
Noise Stimulation in Parkinson's May Alter Nerve Signaling, Improve Motion, Study Suggests
January 6, 2012 - Exposure to mild noise applied by external electrodes can improve motion by changing nerve signaling in the brain, according to a preclinical study from the Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden being published in the online journal PLoSOne. Since noise stimulation is relatively simple and can be carried out with ordinary skin electrodes, the authors hope that the method can be used as a supplement to existing treatment for Parkinson’s disease. (Health News)
TMS Helps to Distinguish Minimal Consciousness from Vegetative State in Brain-Injured Patients
January 9, 2012 - Collaborating teams led by Drs. Marcello Massimini and Steven Laureys report in the journal Brain this week that using transcranial magnetic stimulation and tracking internal communication between regions of the brain with EEG indicates which brain-injured and non-communicative patients have neuronal activity that indicates re-emergence of consciousness. (HealthCanal)
Study Indicates Neurostimulation is Useful to Improve Swallowing After Stroke
January 4, 2012 - Paired associative stimulation (PAS), which combines peripheral stimulation of targeted muscle and cortical stimulation of the targeted muscle's representational area, may aid in the rehabilitation of patients with dysphagia caused by stroke, reports a study published in the January issue of Gastroenterology. (HealthDay via Doctor's Lounge)
Deep brain stimulation shows promising results for unipolar and bipolar depression
January 3, 2012 - An Emory University School of Medicine study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, shows deep brain stimulation is safe and effective for treatment-resistant depression in patients who have either unipolar major depressive disorder or bipolar II disorder. The research with 17 patients builds on work done in Toronto on deep brain stimulation in treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, paving the way for enrolling clinical trial subjects who have either unipolar or bipolar depression. (Lead author Dr. Paul Holtzheimer, and one collaborator, Dr. Helen Mayberg, serve on the editorial board of the INS journal, Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface.) (Edmonton Journal, EurekAlert) 
Emerging Therapies & Diagnostic Tools 2011
Brainsway Ltd Announces Interim Results In Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Trial
December 28, 2011 - Brainsway Ltd. announced that in interim results with 26 patients from a double-blinded clinical trial at the Charité Hospital in Berlin and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Hamburg, regarding the safety and efficacy of its Deep TMS device for multiple sclerosis, the group receiving low-frequency motor cortex stimulation reported a decrease in depression. (Reuters)
Migraines Relieved by Peripheral Nerve Stimulation
December 27, 2011 - A patient of neurosurgeon Alexander Green, a member of the INS' Neuromodulation Society of the United Kingdom and Ireland, was profiled in the U.K. Daily Mail about finding relief from her weekly migraines after becoming the approximately 200th patient in the U.K. to receive a peripheral nerve stimulation implant. (Daily Mail)
Computers Implanted in Brain Could Help Paralyzed
December 27, 2011 - In the coming decades, scientists say, the field of neural prosthetics - of inventing and building devices that harness brain activity for computerized movement - is going to revolutionize how people who have suffered major brain damage interact with their world. (SF Gate)
First U.S. use of AdaptiveStim with RestoreSensor Reported
December 23, 2011 - St. Mary's Pain Relief Center in Huntington reported that it conducted the first U.S. surgery to use a neurostimulation device that automatically adjusts with the movement of the patient. (WOWKTV.com)
Studies Aim to Explore Structural Changes in White and Grey Matter to Understand Mechanisms of Stroke Recovery
December 6, 2011 – Can transcranial direct current stimulation improve movement in stroke patients? Parallel studies in rats and people, comparing changes in white and grey matter in the brain, will examine the effects of increased plasticity when subjects are taught a new limb movement. (Wellcome Trust)
Sorin Group Plans Neurostimulation Studies for Congestive Heart Failure in 2012
December 5, 2011 – The Italian medical technology company Sorin Group has invested $7 million in Enopace Biomedical to develop its implantable neurostimulator. The device increases heart efficiency by reducing workload placed on the left ventricle. (Mass Device)
Fund Provides Neuroscience Pilot Grants at University of Minnesota
December 5, 2011 – The University of Minnesota has established $500,000 in annual support for neuroscience research through the Wallin Discovery Fund. The first round of awards are supporting four projects, including one examining the effect of deep brain stimulation on addiction. (Minnesota Star Tribune)
Smart Deep Brain Stimulation Could Reduce Parkinson’s Symptoms through Neural Monitoring
December 2, 2011 – Researchers in Milan have reported developing a smart deep brain stimulation device for Parkinson’s that monitors neuron activity and determines exactly where electrical impulses are needed before delivering them, which should help reduce symptoms. (UPI.com)
Neuromodulation Global Market Reaches an Estimated $3 billion in 2011
November 30, 2011 – Neuromodulation is one of the fastest-growing medical device market sectors. The market research report “Neuromodulation Devices: World Market Prospects 2011-2021” by Visiongain pegs the global value in 2011 at $3 billion. (PR Web)
FDA: Acute Residual Limb Pain in Amputees Can be Treated with Neuros Medical’s Electrical Nerve Block
November 29, 2011 - Neuros Medical, Inc. has received Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) approval from the FDA for its high-frequency Electrical Nerve Block technology for use in acute treatment of residual limb pain in amputees. The implanted system has a pacemaker-like stimulus generator, lead wires, and a cuff electrode. It is designed for applications such as neuroma/residual limb pain, chronic post-surgical pain, and chronic migraine. (MedGadget)
Sapiens Receives Development Funding for High-Resolution Probe for Deep Brain Stimulation
November 29, 2011 – Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation announced a €3.5 million Strategic Translation Award from the Wellcome Trust to support development of next-generation deep-brain stimulation technology. Sapeins is developing a high-resolution probe for treating patients with Parkinson’s disease and other degenerative brain disorders. An additional €6.5 million in funding has been received from the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Agentschap NL. (Wellcome Trust)
Pilots Improve Learning with Direct Current Stimulation, U.S. Air Force Finds
November 25, 2011 – Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation boosts learning, Air Force researchers reported. Pilots being trained to guide unmanned attack drones learned more quickly and sustained the learning with this mild electrical stimulation to the brain. The results were presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting. (Scientific American)
Team Tailors Functional Electrical Stimulation by Adjusting Ion Concentrations
November 21, 2011 – A plastic surgery research team from Harvard University’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and engineers from MIT are creating a low-current functional electrical stimulation device designed to decrease side effects by manipulating the concentration of charged particles around the nerve. Unwanted muscle contractions and stimulation of nearby sensory nerves could be minimized with the concept, demonstrated in frogs and reported in Nature Materials. (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center)
Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation Shows Promise for Increasing Airflow in This with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
November 25, 2011 - In a study published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Alan R. Schwartz, MD, and colleagues at the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center, reported positive results from their use of Apnex's hypoglossal stimulator to treat obstructive sleep apnea. "In our study, acute unilateral stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve during sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea resulted in progressive increases in inspiratory airflow with increasing stimulation intensity, and inspiratory flow limitation was completely eliminated in the majority of patients," said Dr. Schwartz. (EurekAlert).
INS Leaders are Featured in Daily Mail Article about the Use of Spinal Cord Stimulation for the Treatment of Chronic Sciatic Pain
November 22, 2011 - Dr. Simon Thomson, President of the International Neuromodulation Society, and Dr. Sam Eldabe, President-Elect of the Neuromodulation Society of the UK and Ireland, are interviewed in a story describing the positive outcome of spinal cord stimulation in a patient who had previously suffered for years from chronic sciatic pain. (UK Daily Mail)
Deep Brain Stimulation Shown to Reverse Damage of Alzheimer's Disease in Small Study
November 23, 2011 - At the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting last week, Dr. Andres Lozano and colleagues from Toronto Western Hospital, reported the findings of a six-patient, year-long study of deep brain stimulation for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. After one year of stimulation, in all six patients, the reduced use of glucose by the temporal lobe and posterior circulate was reversed and, in the two of the patients whose hippocampuses grew in size, and they demonstrated better than expected cognitive function. (New Scientist)
New Study Reaffirms Benefit of Deep Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Severe Depression
November 18, 2011 - A multi-center pilot study sponsored by St. Jude Medical, Inc., has shown that stimulation of Brodmann Area 25 improved depression symptoms and quality of life in patients suffering from severe, refractory depression. This reaffirms outcomes of a previous study by Drs. Andres Lozano and Helen Mayberg that was published in Neuron in 2005. Conducted at three centers in Canada, the study showed 62 percent of the patients in the study had a 40 percent reduction in symptoms, as compared to their baselines. The full study results were published in the Journal of Neurosurgery. (MarketWatch)
Neurostimulator with Motor Sensor Approved by the FDA
November 17, 2011 - The AdaptiveStim™ with RestoreSenstor™ neurostimulation system from Medtronic, Inc., has received FDA approval for the treatment of chronic pain. Utilizing motion-sensor technology found in smart phones and computer gaming systems, the device automatically adapts stimulation levels according to postural changes and subsequent fluctuations in the patient's stimulation requirements. This obviates the need for the user to make manual adjustments. (MedCity News)
Study Shows Brain Stimulator Effective in Reducing Seizures from Medically Refractory Epilepsy
November 8, 2011 - A recent study published in Neurology, reports the outcome of a 191-patients study, in which 97 patients were treated with NeuroPace Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) System, while the remainder were in a placebo group. Of the 97 patients who received the neurostimulation, 37.9 percent experienced fewer seizures than prior to the therapy. (Newswise)
New Therapy Targeting Post-Stroke Shoulder Pain Shows Promise
October 26, 2011 - As part of a multi-center clinical study, a medical team from the Carolinas Medical Center has implanted SPR Therapeutics' Micropulse® peripheral,intramuscular nerve stimulator for the first time in a patient to treat shoulder pain associated with hemiplegia. The group has reported promising results from the first implant. (MedCity News)
Researchers Develop Electrode Coating That Influences Local Concentration of Ions
October 26, 2011 - A team from Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are researching a calcium ionophore coating on implanted electrodes in frogs, that can either absorb or release calcium ions, depending on the direction of the current across the electrode. As a potential enhancement to existing electrodes, this membrane could help reduce the amount of current strength needed to stimulate nerves by modulating local calcium ions. (Royal Society of Chemistry)
Study on External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Pediatric ADHD Announced
October 24, 2011 - In collaboration with the University of California Los Angeles, NeuroSigma, Inc., will launch its clinical trial on non-invasive, external trigeminal nerve stimulation to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. The device interface consists of an adhesive, conductive pad that is affixed to the patient's forehead and stimulates the branches of the trigeminal nerve. (MarketWatch)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Funds Research on Floating Light Activated Micro-electrical Stimulators
October 17, 2011 - NINDS has provided a grant to researchers at Boston University to fund research on FLAMES, Floating Light Activated Micro-electrical Stimulators, for the "wireless activation of the central nervous system." The patient-controlled, external device would beam infrared light through an optical fiber outside the dura matter, to activate the implanted device to stimulate the desired neuron with electrical current. The device has not yet entered clinical trials. (R & D Magazine)
Trial on Transdermal Neuromodulation for Urge Incontinence and Overactive Bladder Commences
October 14, 2011 - EMKinetics, Inc., is launching the pivotal trail of its TranStim™ transdermal, posterior tibial nerve stimulator for the treatment of urinary urge incontinence and overactive bladder. Upon completion of the study, the company will apply for CE Mark and FDA approval. (PR Newswire)
Small Clinical Trial Shows Promising Results for Treating Alzheimer's Disease with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
October 6, 2011 - Initial results of Brainsway's 24-patient clinical trial on the use of deep transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for Alzheimer's disease suggest that the "high frequency treatment leads to improvement of Alzheimer's disease assessment scales." (MedGadget)
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator (TMS) Receives Approval from Israeli Ministry of Health Approval for the Treatment of Intractable Psychiatric Disorders
October 4, 2011 - The Israeli Ministry of Health has granted approval of Brainsway Ltd.'s TMS for the treatment of neurological and psychopathological disorders, including intractable depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment. In April, the device received CE Mark approval in Europe for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, and as an add-on treatment to antidepressants for major depression. (Mass Device)
Clinical Trial of Chronic Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Heart Failure Commences
September 30, 2011 - Boston Scientific has launched its NECTAR-HF clinical trial on 96 patients at multiple centers in Europe, to assess preliminary efficacy and safety of its vagus nerve stimulation system for treating heart failure. The study will evaluate if the therapy can improve heart function and slow the progression of the heart failure. (Mass Device)
Diaphragm Pacing System that Assists Breathing in Some ALS Patients Receives FDA Approval
September 29, 2011 - Synapse Biomedical has received Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) from the FDA for its NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System, which electrically stimulates the diaphragm to contract, thus assisting patients with inadequate breathing to breathe. The 106-patient clinical trial demonstrated that the repeated stimulation strengthens the diaphragm muscles to help delay respiratory failure. (MedCity News)
New Research on Deep Brain Stimulation Studies the Subthalamic Nucleaus' (STN) Role in Making Tough Decisions
September 26, 2011 - A recent study published in Nature Neuroscience examines the regions of the brain involved in making difficult decisions and determined that when the prefrontal cortex requires time for deliberation, it engages the STN to halt impulsive urges from the striatum. In patients undergoing deep brain stimulation of the STN for Parkinson's disease, the STN was not engaged in this decision making process, thus allowing the patients to make impulsive and less accurate decisions. These findings have suggested that brain regions communicate by low frequency signals and that if DBS could be refined to avoid or not affect this frequency range, it would not impair the STN's role in the decision-making process. (Science Daily)
Researchers to Launch Clinical Trial on Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for Refractory Epilepsy
September 23, 2011 - With support from the Epilepsy Therapy Project and the Epilepsy Foundation, researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston’s epilepsy program soon will begin a clinical trail on patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy to study the effects of rTMS therapy. (Epilepsy Foundation)
New Scientific Study Shows That DBS May Help Improve Spatial Memory
September 22, 2011 - An animal study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, found that electrical stimulation of the entorhinal cortex in adult mice led to a two-fold increase in new cells in the hippocampus. The cells that were generated during the one hour of stimulation seemed to be functional, showing normal development and connection with adjacent brain cells. (Science Daily)
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Holds Promise for Restoring Swallowing Function in Stroke Patients
September 12, 2011 - Researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia are using transcranial magnetic stimulation and brain exercises to restore swallowing function in stroke survivors with impaired swallowing. In support of this research, the Australian Federal Government has provided AU$300,000 in funding. (Dental Tribune)
St. Jude Medical Receives European Regulatory Approval for its Neurostimulator to Treat Intractable Chronic Migraine
September 7, 2011 - St. Jude Medical has received European CE Mark approval for its Genesis™ neurostimulator for peripheral nerve stimulation of the occipital nerves for the treatment of intractable chronic migraine. "The CE Mark approval was supported by the results of St. Jude Medical’s chronic migraine study, a randomized, double-blind, controlled study that collected data from 157 patients…" and "demonstrated that participants in the active group showed a 41% improvement after 12 weeks of stimulation, compared to a 13% improvement in the control group."(BusinessWire)
CVRx Receives European Approval for its Electrical Stimulator to Treat Hypertension
August 25, 2011 - CVRx has received CE Mark Approval for its Barostim neo, which treats uncontrolled hypertension by electrically stimulating the baroreceptors on the carotid artery. The stimulation causes the artery to relax and increase bloodflow, thereby enabling the heart to slow down and fill with more blood. Subsequently, the kidneys eliminate more fluid from the body, thus lowering excessive blood pressure. (MedGadget)
New Study Shows Promise for Treating Refractory Fibromyalgia with Vagus Nerve Stimulation
August 24, 2011 - A preliminary study published in Pain Medicine, reports that vagus nerve stimulation may be effective for treatment-resistant fibromyalgia. At the three-month mark, five of the 11 patients studied experienced improvement in pain, overall wellness, and physical function. (About.com)
Epilepsy Organizations Provide New Therapy Grant to Support Clinical Study of rTMS for the Treatment of Refractory Focal Epilepsy
August 19, 2011 - The Epilepsy Therapy Project (ETP) and the Epilepsy Foundation (EF) have awarded the New Therapy Grant of approximately $200,000 to Alexander Rotenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology, Children's Hospital Boston, "to support a clinical study to evaluate the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) H-Coil as a promising non-invasive method of inhibiting the abnormal electrical activity believed to underlie seizures in focal temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE)." (Disabled World)
Sacral Nerve Stimulator Shows Promise for Treating Fecal Incontinence at Three-Year Follow-Up
August 15, 2011 - The Journal Diseases of the Colon and Rectum has published a study on Medtronic's InterStim sacral nerve stimulator, showing that the therapy reduced episodes of fecal incontinence by at least 50% in 86% of the 77 individuals studied. The number of episodes per week decreased from a mean of 9.4 per week to 1.7 per week. Forty percent of the patients experienced complete continence. (MedGadget)
New Study Shows STN-DBS is Effective in Treating the Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease for at Least 10 Years
August 8, 2011 - A study published in the Archives of Neurology followed 18 people who were implanted with STN-DBS in the mid- to late 1990s. The researchers assessed the study participants' motor skills, daily tasks and behavior at one, five and ten years, with stimulation and without, and determined that the subjects performed "significantly better overall when stimulated at each time point, even after 10 years." (Nature.com - Spoonful of Medicine)
Apnex Medical Receives FDA Approval for Its Obstructive Sleep Apnea Clinical Trial
August 3, 2011 - Apnex Medical will initiate the clinical trial with 132 patients in 15 medical centers in the United States and five other sites in Australia and Europe. Sensing respiration, the implanted device electrically stimulates the hypoglossal nerve, making the tongue to move toward the front of the mouth. (MedCity News)
Study Shows Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Can Improve Brain Function in Schizophrenics
July 29, 2011 - Researchers at the Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) used an external transcranial direct current stimulator to stimulate the pre-frontal cortex of people with schizophrenia for 20 minutes. The results suggested that the stimulation improved learning abilities in those who demonstrated a propensity for learning prior to the stimulation. (Science Alert)
Three Companies Developing Neuromodulation Devices to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea
July 27, 2011 - Apnex Medical, IMThera, Inspire Medical Systems, are developing implantable neurostimulators for the treatment of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. Both Apnex's and Inspire's systems sense respiration and deliver mild stimulation to the largest muscle of the tongue, while IMThera's technology does not sense respiration, but stimulates multiple muscles of the tongue. (MedCity News)
New Transdermal Stimulator Launched To Treat Chemotherapy-Related Nausea and Vomiting
July 13, 2011 - At the 2011 Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Neurowave Medical Technologies presented positive clinical results on a new transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator being used to reduce nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. The Nometex device stimulates the median nerve on the underside of the wrist and modulate gastric rhythm via neural pathways and vagus nerve. (Reuters)
Medtronic Receives Clearance for Blood Pressure Study
July 11, 2011 - Medtronic has received FDA approval of the design of a clinical study to treat hypertension using focused low-power radio frequency applied through the Simplicity Catheter System to the renal arteries near the kidneys. The study will be conducted in 60 centers across the U.S. and will include 500 patients. (Star Tribune)
St. Jude Medical Receives Approval for Expansion of its Study on DBS for Severe Depression
July 11, 2011 - The FDA has given St. Jude Medical clearance to expand its clinical study, which will be conducted at 20 medical centers across the U.S. and will include 125 patients suffering from severe depression. Outside the U.S., similar studies already are underway. (MedCity News)
New Study Shows Promise of Treating Chronic Migraine Headaches with Occipital Nerve Stimulation
June 29, 2011 - At the 15th Annual International Headache Congress in Berlin, Germany, St. Jude Medical, Inc., reported positive new results from a study on its Genesis neurostimulator. One year out, 66 percent of those who received the therapy reported "good or excellent headache improvement." (MedGadget)
Novel Device to Treat Cluster Headaches Shows Promise in Preliminary Study
June 27, 2011 - At the 15th Annual International Headache Congress in Berlin, Germany, Autonomic Technologies, Inc., reported positive preliminary findings on the safety and efficacy of its miniaturized neurostimulator for the treatment of cluster headaches. Of those who received the therapy, more than 70 percent "experienced a reduction in the frequency of their headaches." (MarketWatch)
Neural Prosthesis Restores Cognitive, Mnemonic Processes in Rats
June 17, 2011 - Dr. Theodore Berger and colleagues implanted tiny electrodes in the hippocampus of rats to read neural activity and emulate the firing pattern of neurons. In cognitively impaired rats, the researchers used electrical stimulation pulses to substitute the firing patterns and restore brain function. The original research was published in the Journal of Neural Engineering. (New York Times)
CerebralRX Announces Launch of its Vagus Nerve Stimulator for Epilepsy
June 16, 2011 - Cerebral RX, a spinoff of BioControl Medical, has launched its FitNeS vagus nerve stimulator in Europe and has reported two successful implants in Sweden. The device stimulates the left vagus nerve to treat refractory epilepsy. (MedGadget)
Direct Current Stimulation of the Superior Medial Frontal Cortex May Modulate Inhibitory Control
June 15, 2011 - Researchers from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at the National Central University in Taiwan reported their findings in the June 2011 issue of Neuroimage. This non-invasive neuromodulatory therapy potentially may be used to treat conditions such as drug addiction, Tourette's syndrome, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
BioControl to Spin Off Cerebral Rx and Vagus Nerve Stimulator for Epilepsy
June 14, 2011 - BioControl's vagus nerve stimulator, which is used to treat heart failure symptoms, also will be used for treating epilepsy. Due to the device's similarity to the CardioFit system, which already has received FDA and CE Mark approval, it should not require many clinical trials for approval. (Globes)
High-frequency Stimulation to Block Chronic Amputation Pain
June 13, 2011 - The results of Dr. Amol Soin's research and the first human test of the technology were presented at the INS Congress in London. The device, which stimulates the peripheral nerves, could potentially treat other chronic pain such as chronic migraine and trigeminal neuralgia. (Health Leaders Media)
Two Start-Ups Use Brain Stimulation to Treat Alzheimer's Disease
May 12, 2011 - Functional Neuromodulation is conducting research led by Dr. Andres Lozano on the effects of deep brain stimulation to "boost activity in the memory circuits." Neuronix is using transcranial magnetic stimulation to target specific regions of the brain in combination "with cognitive training tasks designed to activate those regions." (MIT Technology Review)
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation May Help Stroke-Related Dysphagia
March 25, 2011 - According to a pilot study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, stroke patients who were treated with a combination of both Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and swallowing exercises showed improvement in swallowing ability. (Science Daily)
Early Study Shows Promising Results for Treating Amputation Pain
April 7, 2011 - An early study of Neuros Medical's high frequency electrical nerve block technology has show promising results in treating chronic amputation pain. (MedGadget)
Scientists Discuss Ethics and Long-Term Findings in the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders with Deep Brain Stimulation
February 21, 2011 - At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Drs. Michael Okun, Benjamin Greenberg, Helen Mayberg and Joseph Fins participated in a session discussing the scientific and ethical issues for the surgical treatment of psychiatric disorders. (UK Daily Mail)
Long-Term Study Results of Deep Brain Stimulation for Intractable OCD Reported
February 20, 2011 - At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Dr. Benjamin Greenberg of Brown University reported the longest-term results of a multicenter study on using deep brain stimulation to treat obsessive compulsive disorder. Patients who initially showed improvement when first receiving stimulation, remained improved if they continued to receive the stimulation - for eight years and beyond. (Science Daily)
Initial, Short-Term Study of New Stimulator Shows Promise in Treating Amputees' Pain
January 18, 2011 - Neuros Medical, Inc., conducted an initial, 30-day feasibility study of Nerve Block, a high-frequency alternating current neurostimulator, for the treatment of chronic residual limb pain. The company stated that the first patient reported "significant pain relief." (Crains Cleveland Business)
Researchers Pair Stimulation of the Vagus Nerve and Auditory Cortex to Treat Tinnitus
January 17, 2011 - In their study published in Nature, scientists at MicroTransponder, Inc., a company producing neurostimulators, reported that stimulating the vagus nerve while simultaneously playing notes that are either higher or lower than the suspected tinnutus frequency "completely eliminated the physiological and behavioural correlates of tinnitus in noise-exposed rats." (MedGadget)
Report on Potential Benefits of Stimulation Therapies for Psychiatric Disorders
January 11, 2011 - According to a Wall Street Journal report, technologies that stimulate or calm the brain with electricity, ultrasound or magnetism hold promise for treating a host of psychiatric disorders. Using imaging technologies, such as functional MRIs and PET scans, neuroscientists hope to better identify anatomical targets and, subsequently, the best therapy options for their patients. (Wall Street Journal)
Emerging Therapies & Diagnostic Tools 2010 and Earlier
Promising Neuromodulation Therapies for Refractory Epilepsy Presented at the American Epilepsy Society's Annual Meeting
December 15, 2010 - Researchers presented long-term results of vagus nerve stimulation, as well as pivotal clinical trials of stimulation in the anterior thalamus (published in full in Epilepsia) and responsive neurostimulation --all of which hold promise for treating refractory epilepsy. (Internal Medicine News Digital Network)
Australian Researchers Develop Smartchip to Treat Chronic Pain
December 14, 2010 - Researchers at National ICT Australia have developed the Implantable Neuro Sensing and Stimulation Device (INS2), an implantable neurostimulator the size of a match head, which monitors the properties of the nerves that conduct pain signals to the brain and subsequently delivers stimulation of up to 10 volts, blocking the pain signals. Human trials will begin in 2011 in Australia. (ITWire)
Large-Scale Trial of Device to Treat Sleep Apnea Announced
November 29, 2010 - Inspire Medical, a spin-off company from Medtronic, has received the FDA's clearance to launch a pivotal study in which 100 patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea will be implanted with a neurostimulator which will stimulate the hypoglossal nerve on each breathing cycle to prevent the tongue from collapsing and obstructing the airway. (Star Tribune)
ImThera Raises More than $1 Million to Complete Trials of Sleep Apnea Neurostimulator
November 19, 2010 - ImThera will use the funds to complete its studies in Europe, and begin the application process to the FDA for its hypoglossal stimulator which triggers muscle tone in key tongue muscles during sleep, thus opening the upper airway and reducing or eliminating obstruction. (Mass Device)
New Neural Probe Senses and Stimulates Individual Neurons in the Brain
November 11, 2010 - A research institute from Leuven, Belgium, Imec, has developed a new probe containing hundreds of electrodes that can be controlled individually. Applications of the new device include fundamental research on the way the brain functions, as well as pre-operative diagnostics for epilepsy and potentially other conditions. (MedGadget)
New Neurostimulator Treats Postoperative Nausea
October 21, 2010 - A new external neurostimulator, Reletex, worn on the wrist, electrically stimulates the neurons in the median nerve pathway to modulate anti-nausea feedback mechanisms. The device comes with controls that patients can adjust according to their symptoms. (CNET news)
Researchers Develop Cochlear Implant to Treat Meniere's Disease
October 21, 2010 - Drs. Jay Rubenstein and James Phillips at the University of Washington Medical Center have re-engineered the software and electrode arrays of an existing FDA-approved cochlear implant, to treat the balance disorders associated with Meniere's Disease. A 10-person surgical trial to test the device is starting this week. (Daily Tech)
Diaphragm Pacing System for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Receives Humanitarian Use Device (HUD) Designation
October 12, 2010 - The NeuRx Diaphragm Pacer from Synapse Biomedical, Inc., has received HUD designation for use in ALS patients who have chronic hypoventilation with intact phrenic nerves. The implanted device applies electrical stimulation to the phrenic nerve of the diaphragm muscles, causing diaphragm contraction that emulates natural breathing. (MedGadget)
A New Study Reports the Benefits of Deep Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
October 4, 2010 - Dr. Damiaan Denys and colleagues at the University of Amsterdam reported the outcome of their study of 16 OCD patients in Archives of General Psychiatry. Of the 16 patients studied, 9 were identified as "responders" to deep brain stimulation and experienced an average of 72% improvement in their symptoms. According to the authors, this was the first double-blind, sham-controlled study targeting the nucleus accumbens. (MedPage Today)
Small Study Reports Benefits of Occipital Neurostimulation for the the Treatment of Refractory Migraine
September 18, 2010 - In an article published in Cephalalgia, Dr. Joel Saper and colleagues report the outcome of their study of 67 chronic, refractory migraine patients: 39% of the 33 patients receiving occipital neurostimulation received at least a 50% reduction in the number of headache days per month. (Los Angeles Times/Booster Shots blog)
NeuroVista Raises $21.5M
August 25, 2010 - NeuroVista has raised $16.5 million in equity with GBS Venture Partners, and has garnered an additional $5 million through a convertible debt agreement with Cyberonics, the producer of a vagus nerve stimulator used to treat epilepsy. The funding will be invested in ongoing clinical trials of the company’s Seizure Advisory System, which monitors the brain's EEG and detects oncoming seizures -- giving patients time either to take fast-acting medication or to lie down safely. (Xconomy)
Deep Brain Stimulation Shows Promise in Fight Against Alzheimer’s
August 6, 2010 - In their study of six patients from 2005-2008, Dr. Andres M. Lozano and his team at Toronto Western Hospital have shown that using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) on patients with early signs of Alzheimer's disease is safe and may help improve memory or slow its deterioration. The results of the study are reported in the August 4th issue of The Annals of Neurology. (Science Daily)
EnteroMedics Receives Conditional FDA Approval for Obesity Trial
August 2, 2010 - EnteroMedics has cleared the first hurdle of getting an FDA approval to start its trial on the use of vagus nerve stimulation to treat obesity; however, more funding is necessary to move forward with the study. (Reuters)
Spinal Cord Stimulation Used to Treat Heart Failure
July 29, 2010 - Medtronic has announced that it is launching a clinical trial on the use of a spinal cord stimulator to treat heart-failure by improving blood flow and reducing inflammation. (Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal)
Chip Holds Promise for Refining Brain Stimulation
July 9, 2010 - A Rehabilitation Nano Chip that can modulate the delivery of electrical stimulation to diseased parts of the brain by recording and analyzing brain activity, holds promise for enabling more precise and flexible DBS treatment for conditions such as Parkinson's Disease. The research team hopes to complete its experiments within the next six months and, within the next few years, start treating patients with neurological conditions. (CNET/crave)
Spinal Cord Stimulator Story Featured on BBC News
July 5, 2010 - The BBC featured a story of a patient in the U.K. whose chronic pain was successfully treated with neurostimulation - the first implant of Medtronic's Restore neurostimulator in Britain.
CVRx Reports Positive Four-Year Results for its Anti-Blood Pressure Device
June 21, 2010 - CVRx's four-year study revealed that patients being treated with its stimulator experienced a drop in blood pressure. The device stimulates the baroceptors in the carotid artery. The brain instructs the arteries to relax, which eases the flow of blood throughout the body, and the heart to slow down, allowing more time for the heart to fill with blood. (MedCity News)
FDA Clears The University of Alabama at Birmingham's Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator for the Treatment of Depression
June 8, 2010 - The FDA has approved use of UAB’s Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ( rTMS), to deliver highly focused, MRI-strength magnetic pulses to the brain. This therapy is indicated for people suffering from depression that is refractory to pharmacological treatment. (Birmingham Business Journal)
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Autoimmune Diseases
June 1, 2010 - Setpoint Medical, a startup based in Boston, is developing a vagal nerve stimulator designed to modulate the immune system response associated with autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. The technology has been developed from ten years of animal research, studying how the vagus nerve carries signals between the brain and visceral organs, and plays a role in controlling inflammation. (MIT Technology Review)
Forthcoming Clinical Trail to Investigate Vagus Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Tinnitus
May 24, 2010 - MicroTransponder is adapting its neurostimulation technology, currently being developed for chronic pain, to stimulate the vagus nerve for tinnitus. Researchers plan to test the therapy in upcoming clinical trials in Belgium. (MIT Technology Review)
The Pentagon to Support Research on Optogenetic Technology
to Repair Injured Brains
May 12, 2010 - The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is investing $14.9 million in optogenetics research, for the development of implantable microdevices that may help restore brain function. The REPAIR project (for Reorganization and Plasticity to Accelerate Injury Recovery), will include researchers from Stanford University, Brown University, the University of California-San Francisco and University College London. (MedGadget)
A Study in the UK has Found DBS and Medical Therapy for Parkinson's Disease more Effective than Medical Therapy Alone
April 29, 2010 - The results of the 10-year study on 366 patients, funded by the charity Parkinson's UK, are published in The Lancet. (BBC News)
A Silk Brain Implant is Being Developed to Treat Epilepsy, Spinal Cord Injuries, and Other Neurological Disorders
April 18, 2010 - A brain implant consisting of protein from silk and thin metal electrodes holds promise for treating epilepsy, spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders. The biocompatible silk dissolves into the brain and maximizes direct contact between the electrodes and the brain tissue. (Reuters)
Retinal Implant: First Results from Human Trial
March 19, 2010 - Retinal Implant AG from Reutlingen, Germany has announced the results of the first human trial of its subretinal implant. Eleven patients who lost their sight due to retinitis pigmentosa received the implant through surgical transchoroidal implantation. Energy was delivered to the implant via a retroauricular plug. Implantation was successful in all patients without any adverse events.The results of this clinical trial will be presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology’s (ARVO) annual meeting May 2-6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (MedGadget)
Deep Brain Stimulation Reduces Epileptic Seizures in Patients with Refractory Partial and Secondarily Generalized Seizures
March 18, 2010 - A recent study organized by Stanford University researchers found patients with refractory partial and generalized seizures had a reduction in seizures after deep brain stimulation. This multi-center clinical trial determined that the benefits of stimulation of the anterior nuclei of thalamus for epilepsy (SANTE) persisted and by 2 years there was a 56% reduction in seizure frequency. Full findings of this study are available early online in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy. (Epilepsia, Wiley-Blackwell)
Hand-held device on trial for migraine sufferers
March 4, 2010 - A new hand-held device that delivers a magnetic pulse to the back of the head could become an alternative to drug treatment for people with migraines. The findings of a 200-person study, published in The Lancet Neurology, showed that the single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (sTMS) from the device is a promising acute treatment for some patients with migraine with aura. (BBC News)
Imaging Advances Promote Growth of DBS
March 4, 2010 - Neurosurgeons are developing new tools to improve the implantation process. (Neurotech Business Report)
Study results send shares of Uroplasty climbing
March 1, 2010 - The results from a 220-patient clinical trial using the UrgentPC device to stimulate the tibial nerve in the ankle to treat urge incontinence and frequency urination, will be published in the April issue of the Journal of Urology. In the study, 58% of the patients experienced "moderately or markedly improved" symptoms, compared with 22% of the patients who received a simulated procedure. (Star Tribune)
Electric stimulation may help stroke victims swallow
February 24, 2010 - Tiny electric shocks to the throat may help stroke victims overcome disabling swallowing difficulties, a small British study suggests. (Reuters Health)
A Brain Implant that Uses Light - A novel optical device could ultimately be used to treat neurological disease
February 24, 2010 - Researchers at Medtronic are developing a prototype neural implant that uses light to alter the behavior of neurons in the brain. The device is based on the emerging science of optogenetic neuromodulation, in which specific brain cells are genetically engineered to respond to light. (Technology Review)
Implanted Sensor Could Provide Clues to Brain Chemistry
A system to detect brain chemicals may improve therapies for Parkinson's and other disorders.
February 16, 2010 - Over the last decade, deep brain stimulation, in which an implanted electrode delivers targeted jolts of electricity, has given surgeons an entirely new way to treat challenging neurological diseases. More than 75,000 people have undergone the procedure for Parkinson's and other disorders. But despite its success, scientists and surgeons know little about its actual effect on the brain or exactly why it works. (MIT Technology Review)
Test of "artificial pancreas" offers diabetes hope. Study is first test to prove new device improves care
February 4, 2010 - Scientists have used an "artificial pancreas" system of pumps and monitors to improve blood sugar control in diabetes patients in the first study to show the new device works better than conventional treatment. (Reuters)
Depression could be big market for device companies
January 29, 2010 - Medical device companies could play a greater role in the depression treatment market in the US in coming years, according to a new report. About 15-20 million people in the US suffer from depression, representing a potential market valued at about $16bn, information provider Kalorama (Requires a subscription on www.Clinica.co.uk)
Neuroengineers silence brain cells with multiple colors of light
New tools show potential for treating brain disorders
January 6, 2010 - Neuroscientists at MIT have developed a powerful new class of tools to reversibly shut down brain activity using different colors of light. When targeted to specific neurons, these tools could potentially lead to new treatments for the abnormal brain activity associated with disorders such as chronic pain, epilepsy, brain injury, and Parkinson’s disease. (MIT News)
Pivotal Study Of Medtronic Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy Shows Long-Term Reduction In Seizure Rate In Patients With Severe Epilepsy
December 09, 2009 - Long-term data from an investigational study of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Therapy for Epilepsy was released this week by Medtronic, Inc. at the American Epilepsy Society Meeting (AES) in Boston. The results of the study show improvement over time... (Medical News Today)
Surgeon put electrodes in my back to cure my chronic pain
April 28, 2009 - Many thousands of Britons suffer from chronic pain as a result of nerve damage. While prescription medicine works for most, others may benefit from treatment with implanted electrodes. Mark Hollingworth, 43, an IT specialist from Essex, had the operation in March. He reveals his story while his doctor explains the procedure. (Daily Mail Online U.K.)
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