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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)

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)

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)

New MRI May Lead to Better Brain Pictures
March 1, 2010 - Researchers are reporting that they've developed a new kind of MRI sensor that can detect the neurotransmitter known as dopamine, potentially allowing doctors to get better views inside the brain.  (Yahoo News: HealthDay News)

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)

Brain Scans Suggest Some Vegetative Patients May Be Aware
February 3, 2010 -  Some patients thought to be in a vegetative state actually show signs of consciousness when assessed with a brain scan. (Yahoo News)

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.)


Device Complications

Studies Link Rare Ailment to Pain Pumps
January 26, 2010 - (New York Times)

SynchroMed II Pump Model 8637 is Recalled Over Battery Defect
August 30, 2011 - Medtronic's SynchroMed II, model 8637, implantable pump has been recalled due to a problem that has caused some batteries to abruptly cease working. The FDA has approved a  modification to the battery, designed to prevent the problem from occurring in pumps with the new battery; all Synchromed II pumps are being manufactured with the new battery. Updated 9/1/11 (Mass Device)


Government and Regulatory Issues

Ireland Debates Providing Its Own Deep Brain Stimulation Service, Appoints an Assessment Panel
January 27, 2012 - Ireland's publicly funded Health Service Executive has asked for a health technology assessment about providing a national Deep Brain Stimulation service. The assessment by the nation's Health Information and Quality Authority will focus on developing a standard for the provision of such a service in Ireland (including staffing, equipment and other resources) and will evaluate the associated costs. It will then compare these with the current arrangements where eligible patients are referred, under the Treatment Abroad Scheme, to centers outside of Ireland for the surgery. (Health Information and Quality Authority)

Researchers at Northwestern University Report that Three-Quarters of Medical Device Makers First Seek Regulatory Approval Outside of the U.S.
October 6, 2011 - The study, funded by the Institute for Health Technology Studies, citied that the FDA's lengthy and complicated 501(k) review process as well as the associated costs has led device companies to seek approval overseas before applying for FDA approval. (Mass Device)

U.S. Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Report on Chronic Pain Holds Promise for Neuromodulation Therapy Research and Patient Access
July 14, 2011 - Mandated by President Obama’s healthcare reform law, the IOM's report stressed the importance of improving research and treatment of chronic pain, providing "a blueprint for action in transforming prevention, care, education, and research, with the goal of providing relief for people with pain in America.” Xconomy Boston followed-up with a commentary, explaining how the report may also aid research and development in the medical device industry. (IOM Report, Xconomy Boston)

FDA Device Panel Considers Design of Clinical Trials for Treatment of Depression
October 11, 2010 -  The Neurological Devices Panel met to advise the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the design of clinical trials of devices to treat severe depression. Though no firm recommendations were made, the panel considered several ethical issues, including the number of attempted and completed suicides in the patient population, the need for control groups, and acceptable response rates. (MedScape Today)

FDA Might Require Pump Manufacturers to Provide More Data
April 23, 2010 - The FDA issued preliminary guidelines that will require pump manufacturers to submit more test data, before the devices are approved for use. In addition, the companies would need to conduct limited clinical trials. (New York Times - requires registration)

The Council of Medical Specialty Societies Develops New Code of Ethics for Physician Interactions with Industry
April 21, 2010 - The council, which includes 32 medical societies, developed the code of ethics, which calls for greater transparency and for limiting the influence that drug and device companies have over patient care. (Associated Press)

FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) Launches New Transparency Website
April 20, 2010 - The FDA is providing information to help the public understand its regulatory decisions, and descriptions of regulatory processes. The new site also includes databases for premarket approvals and recalls and guidance documents. (FDA)

Improving the Security and Privacy of Implantable Medical Devices
April 2, 2010 - In a perspective article published in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers make a case for risk-based security assessment to be included in premarket regulatory evaluation of devices. (MedPage Today)

Device Firms Seek Definition Of "New Science," As FDA Mulls Policy Changes
March 11, 2010 - FDA must better define what it considers "new science" when deciding how to incorporate emerging data into product reviews and post-market surveillance, and must vet the data carefully before reacting, device companies say. (Medical Devices Today)

NHS urged to buy Fairtrade and ethically sourced kit
February 27, 2010 - A new campaign has been launched to put pressure on the NHS to examine where its medical instruments come from. The British Medical Association (BMA) wants more Fairtrade and ethically sourced kit to be used. (BBC News)

Massachusetts medical device firms hurt by gift ban
February 26, 2010 - The Massachusetts law designed to prevent pharmaceutical and medical device firms from having undue influence on doctors is spurring job losses at local companies and research institutions, industry insiders claim. (Mass High Tech; The Journal of New England Technology)

Italy publishes long-awaited medical device regulations update
February 2, 2010 - Italian medical device regulations are about to come into force, featuring a May 5 deadline for the registration of products. A health ministry decree (DM) of December 21 2009, just published, comes into force on February 6, "replacing entirely" the February 20 2007 DM that currently regulates . (Requires a subscription on www.Clinica.co.uk)

Obama Budget Request Would Fund National Device Registry At FDA
February 8, 2009 - The Obama administration's fiscal year 2011 budget request includes $4 million for a new medical device registry that would link unique device identifiers to electronic health data. The registry would be designed and built by FDA. (Medical Devices Today)

Industry News
Device-maker Greatbach Pays $12 million for Neural Interface Developer NeuroNexus
February 17, 2012 - Reuters reports that Greatbach, a leading pulse-generator component maker, acquired NeuroNexus for about $12 million. NeuroNexus develops neural interface devices across a wide range of functions including neuromodulation, sensing, optical stimulation and targeted drug delivery applications. Key NeuroNexus technologies, high-density silicon-based electrodes and interconnects, are more suited to neuroprosthetic rather than neuromodulation therapies, points out NeuroTech Zone, adding that the acquisition "brings us one step closer to a long-awaited clinical trial of probes developed using the semiconductor microfabrication technologies." (NeuroTech Zone, Reuters)

St. Jude Fourth-Quarter Report Shows Neuromodulation Growth
February 3, 2012 - St. Jude's quarterly earnings report shows growth of the neuromodulation segment was up 12%. Overall revenues were up although that was offset somewhat by special charges. (Zack's)

Boston Scientific Announces CE Mark Approval and European Launch for Rechargeable Spinal Cord Stimulator InfinionTM 16 Percutaneous Lead
February 3, 2012 - At the World Institute of Pain Conference, Boston Scientific announced it has received regulatory approval to begin marketing its Infinion 16 Lead in European CE Mark countries. Already marketed in the U.S., it is designed for use with the company's rechargeable Precision PlusTM Spinal Cord Stimulator System. The first patient implant in Europe using the InfinionTM 16 Lead was performed at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Guldheden, Sweden by  by Kliment Gatzinsky, MD, Ph.D., and David Revesz, MD - both members of the International Neuromodulation Society. (PR Newswire)

Hybrid Imaging and Emerging Markets are Growth Areas for Medical Devices
January 27, 2012 - The use of hybrid imaging technologies such as PET/CT and PET/MRI will see growth in the diagnostic imaging industry and will likely be a mainstay in future imaging, according to a report from GBI Research. The report also anticipates that the increasing demand for imaging in emerging markets, including China, India and Brazil, will balance the lower demand in developed countries, particularly the U.S., because of reimbursement cuts. (MolecularImaging.net)

Uroplasty, Inc. Reports 2011 Gains
January 26, 2012 - Uroplasty, Inc. notes in its quarterly report that the Medicare carrier for Florida has released a formal, specific reimbursement policy for posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) that becomes effective February 1. The device maker has the only FDA-cleared PTNS system for office-based treatment of overactive bladder and urge incontinence. Headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, with subsidiaries in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, the company reported its net operating losses are down, and global sales increased 53% to $5.3 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2012, compared with $3.5 million in the fiscal third quarter a year ago. Sales in the U.S. grew 78%, with an 89% increase in sales of the Urgent PC Neuromodulation System and a 71% increase in sales of Macroplastique. Outside the U.S., sales rose by 19%. (MarketWatch)

EnterioMedics, Inc. Receives Australian Approval for Vagal Stimulator Targeting Digestive Functions, Reports Ongoing Medical Trial Spending
January 26, 2012 - EnteroMedics Inc., which develops vagal neuroregulation devices to treat obesity, metabolic diseases and other gastrointestinal disorders by affecting the perception of hunger and fullness, announced final approval to commercialize its Maestro System in Australia. For the full year ended December 31, 2011, the company reported a net loss of $26.0 million, or $0.86 per share, and $29.7 million in cash and equivalents. Main operating expenses are for ongoing clinical trials, including the ReCharge Pivotal Trial, due to be unblinded by the end of 2012. In it, 233 patients are being evaluated at 10 sites to test effectiveness and safety of a second-generation Maestro System powered by a rechargeable integrated battery. All patients in the randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study are expected to participate in a weight management counseling program and receive an implanted device, with one-third of patients, in a control group, receiving a non-functional device for the duration of the study. (Newswire)

Cyberonics Announces FDA Approval of Re-Designed Generator for VNS Therapy
January 4, 2012 - Cyberonics issued a news release saying the FDA approved its re-designed AspireHC (High Capacity) generator for treatment-resistant epilepsy. The generator had been subject to a voluntary product withdrawal in August 2011, after the company learned that stimulation output current delivered to patients by the original units could be less than the output current programmed by a physician. (PR Newswire)

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Therapy Receives European Approval  
October 28, 2011 (Update) - MedGadget has posted an overview and illustration of the hypoglossal stimulation therapy.
October 26, 2011 - Apnex Medical, Inc., has received CE Mark approval in Europe to market and sell its neurostimulation device for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. The company presently is pursuing FDA clearance for the device.
(Star Tribune)

Enopace Biomedical Receives Funding for Neuromodulation Therapy to Treat Patients with Congestive Heart Failure
October 20, 2011 - Sorin Group has invested $7 million in Enopace Biomedical for the development and study of an implantable neurostimulator to increase heart efficiency in patients suffering congestive heart failure. (Mass Device)

Functional Neuromodulation Receives Funding from Genesys Capital and Medtronic, Inc.
October 18, 2011 - Functional Neuromodulation Inc., has secured $10.4 million  from Genesys Capital and Medtronic, Inc., to fund  Phase II clinical testing of deep brain stimulation of the fornix in patients with mild Alzheimer's Disease. (TechFinance.ca)

Penta™ Surgical Lead Receives Regulatory Approval in Japan
October 7, 2011 - The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has granted regulatory approval of St. Jude Medical's Penta™ surgical Lead for neurostimulation for the treatment of chronic pain. The Penta lead is also available in the U.S., Europe, Australia and Canada. (MassDevice)

Cyberonics Invests in ImThera's Neurostimulator for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
October 5, 2011 - Cyberonics, which produces a vagus nerve stimulator for epilepsy, has invested $4 million to fund research on  ImThera's hypoglossal nerve stimulator for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. ImThera is pursuing CE Mark approval in Europe and plans are underway for a pivotal clinical trial. (Xconomy)

Nevromatrix Receives $3.5M in Funding to Further Research on its Neurostimulator
September 27, 2011 - Everett Partners has invested $3.5 million in Nevromatrix in support of further research on its Auto-Targeting Neurostimulation therapy, a device designed to non-invasively pinpoint the source of pain. Nevromatrix obtained FDA approval for the device last year. (Globes)

Anulex Technologies, Inc, Receives FDA Approval of its Spinal Cord Stimulation Lead Anchors
September 20, 2011 - The FDA has given clearance to Anulex Technologies' fiXate™ Tissue Band, which secures Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) lead anchors to the fascia or interspinous/supraspinous ligament in patients with chronic, intractable pain in the limbs and/or trunk. (Enhanced Online News)

NeuroSigma Receives STTR Phase I Grant from NINDS to Further Research on eTNS Therapy for Intractable Epilepsy
September 6, 2011 - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has awarded NeuroSigma an NIH Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I Grant to further development of its external trigeminal nerve stimulator (eTNS™) for the treatment of intractable epilepsy. The grant will be applied toward the animal and human clinical trials of a new pulse generator and electrodes. (NewsMedical)

Aleva Neurotherapeutics Receives EUR 9.5 Million in Series A Financing
August 26, 2011 - Aleva Neurotherapeutics will apply the funding toward the development of its "intelligent electrode," which is compatible with current deep brain stimulators, as well as a device for cortical stimulation. This "target-specific stimulation has been developed to significantly reduce the side effects and potential complications as well as the costs of DBS therapy." (Aleva) 

NINDS Grants MicroTransponder $2.5 Million to Continue Development of its Neurostimulator
August 16, 2011 - The National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has awarded a Phase II U44 SBIR grant of $2.5 million to MicroTransponder to further develop its SAINT™ wireless neurostimulator for the treatment of chronic pain and other neurological disorders, after the company  successfully reached its Phase I endpoints. MicroTransponder has collaborated with the NINDS staff to "develop milestones designed to efficiently translate this technology for clinical use." (PRWeb)

Cyberonics Stops Shipment of Aspire Generators (Models 105 and 106)
August 15, 2011 - Cyberonics, Inc., has stopped shipping and is recalling field  inventory of its Aspire generators (models 105 and 106) due to a hardware-related design issue. The company does not believe the generator will put patients at risk, but it is suspending its E-36 clinical trial until inconsistencies in the output current have been resolved. (Street Insider)

Nevro Corp. Secures $58 Million to Fund U.S. Pivotal Trial and International Commercialization of Spinal Cord Stimulator to Treat Chronic Pain
July 19, 2011 - Johnson and Johnson Development Corporation, as well as Nevro's existing investors, Aberdare Ventures, Accuitive Medical Ventures, Bay City Capital, Mayo Clinic, MPM Capital, and Three Arch Partners have invested in Nevro's neurostimulator for the treatment of chronic back and leg pain. (Mass Device)

St. Jude Receives Approval for Lead Delivery System
July 12, 2011 - The FDA has granted approval of St. Jude Medical's Epiducer lead, as part of the Eon neurostimulator used to treat chronic pain. The lead received its CE Mark last year.  (Star Tribune)

Spinal Modulation Raises $30 Million in Series D Financing
June 15, 2011 - Investors include DeNovo Ventures, ePlanet/DFJ, InCube Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation (JJDC), Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Medtronic, MedVenture Associates, and Raffles Venture Partners. The funding will be applied toward international clinical trials, with the hope of commercializing its spinal cord stimulation system outside of the US in the near future. (Enhanced Online News)

Medtronic Receives CE Mark Approval for Peripheral Nerve Stimulator
May 23, 2011 - The peripheral nerve stimulator, which is not yet available in the US, is being used to treat chronic back pain. (Mass Device)

FDA Approves Neurostimulator to Treat Chronic Fecal Incontinence
April 4, 2011 - The FDA has approved Medtronic's InterStim device, a sacral nerve stimulator used to improve or restore bowel control. The device  previously had gained FDA approval for treatment of bladder dysfunction. (Bloomberg Businessweek)

 Gastric Stimulator Receives CE Mark Approval
March 29, 2011 - EnteroMedics' Maestro RC System, which uses electrical stimulation to suppress hunger, has received CE Mark approval in Europe. The company is conducting more clinical trials and is hoping to gain FDA approval for the device in 2012. (MedCity News)

Boston Scientific Gains Approval to Market New Anchor
March 24, 2011 - The FDA granted Boston Scientific to market the company's new Click Anchor for is spinal cord stimulation system which is used to treat chronic pain. (Boston.com)

FDA Approves Cyberonics' Generator
February 1, 2011 - The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Cyberonics' AspireHC generator, which was designed to be coupled with the company's vagus nerve stimulation system to treat depression and epilepsy. (Bloomberg)

St. Jude Medical Receives Approval to Sell its DBS in Australia
January 24, 2011 - The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the Athena Programmer, which enables physicians to adjust deep brain stimulation parameters, and collect patient data for export and analysis. (MedCity News)

Boston Scientific Purchases Intelect Medical
January 5, 2011 - Boston Scientific is acquiring Intelect Medical, a start-up company that is developing a visual programming system and direnal leactiods for deep brain stimulators, to enable clinicians to visualize the anatomical structures and target stimulation in patients. Boston Scientific is planning to use the programming technology with its Vercise deep brain stimulator, which is in clinical trials for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. (Star Tribune)

Boston Scientific Abandons Plans to Sell its Neurostimulation Business
December 13, 2010 - Boston Scientific ceased its efforts to sell its Neuromodulation Division a few weeks ago and has no further plans to pursue the sale. Analysts speculate that the company is reevaluating the potential for its neuromodulation business. (Bloomberg)

St. Jude Announces the Outcome of its Two-Year Study at the 14th Annual Meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society
December 3, 2010 - St. Jude reported the findings from its two-year, post-market clinical study on spinal cord stimulation for the treatment of chronic low back pain, in which 70 percent of neurostimulation patients reported overall pain relief of 50 percent or better at the two-year mark. (Trading Markets)

Tibial Nerve Stimulator Gains Coverage from Regional Medicare Carrier
November 26, 2010 - Uroplasty Inc.'s posterior tibial nerve stimulator, used for the treatment of overactive bladder, is now covered by Palmetto GBA for California, Nevada and Hawaii. (Mass Device)

Boston Scientific Begins Deep Brain Stimulation Trial in Europe
November 9, 2010 - Boston Scientific has announced the multi-center, prospective clinical trial of its Vercise deep brain stimulator for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The study will examine motor function in approximately 40 European patients in whom the device will be implanted. The neurostimulator is not available for sale. (Mass High Tech)

Posterior Tibial Nerve Stimulator for Treating Overactive Bladder Receives Reimbursement Status
November 3, 2010 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have granted a Category 1 CPT code for Uroplasty's Urgent PC neuromodulation system, which is used for treating overactive bladder. (MedCity News)

Acuity Medical Systems Inc. has raised $1.5 million for the Development of Neurostimulation Technology to Treat Macular Degeneration
October 1, 2010 - Acuity Medical Systems Inc., has raised $1.5 million from the sale of equity, to develop neurostimulation technology to treat dry macular degeneration. By stimulating the retina, the technology holds promise for restoring the normal balance of blood and oxygen flow in the area. (MedCity News)

Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Approves St. Jude Medical's Spinal Cord Stimulator
September 30, 2010 - Regulators in Japan have approved the Eon Mini spinal cord stimulator for the treatment of chronic pain. (Mass Device)

InControl Medical Receives $700K U.S. in Funding for its Incontinence Therapy
September 29, 2010 - InControl is developing a device to stimulate and strengthen the pelvic muscles of women who suffer from urinary incontinence. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

The European Union Approves St. Jude Medical's New Deep Brain Stimulator Programmer
September 20, 2010 – St. Jude Medical, Inc. has announced European CE Mark approval of its new Athena™ programmer, a deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy management system. The programmer is a notebook-based PC that clinicians can adjust either through a touch screen or keyboard.

The European Union Approves Deep Brain Stimulator for The Treatment of Epilepsy
September 16, 2010 - European regulators have granted Medtronic CE Mark approval for its deep brain stimulator for the treatment of refractory epilepsy.  In the U.S., the FDA has yet to approve this device to treat epilepsy. (MedCity News)

Stryker Purported to Be in Talks with Boston Scientific's Neuromodulation Division
August 17, 2010 - Bloomberg has reported that Stryker Corp., a maker of artificial hips and knees, is in advanced talks to buy Boston Scientific's Neuromodulation division for about $1.5 billion. If an agreement is reached, the announcement may be made next week. (Bloomberg)

FDA Approves Boston Scientific Leads
August 2, 2010 - Boston Scientific Corp. was granted U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval for leads designed for use in its Precision Plus spinal cord stimulator system. (MedCity News)

EndoStim raises $6M in Venture Capital
July 19, 2010 - EndoStim Inc., a start-up company that is making microstimulators to treat gastrointestinal and urological neuro-muscular disorders, has reported that it had raised $6 million in Series B equity financing. EndoStim would invest the money to continue clinical trials and pursue FDA approval for gastroesophageal reflux disease and urinary urge incontinence. (St. Louis Business Journal)

Neuros Medical Receives U.S. Government Funding for Stimulator to Treat Amputees' Pain
July 2, 2010 - The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded $1.5 Million for the development of its neurostimulator to treat the chronic pain suffered by amputees, known as stump or phantom limb pain. The award's purpose is to “advance state-of-the-art solutions for world-class medical care with an emphasis on post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, prosthetics, restoration of eyesight and advancing eye care, and other conditions directly relevant to the injuries our service members are currently receiving on the battlefield”. (MedCity News)

Boston Scientific Corp. Has Released Two New Spinal Cord Stimulation Lead Splitters
June 24, 2010 - The new design enables multi-site placement of up to four spinal cord leads, which will enable a greater range of lead configurations and treatment options. (MedCity News)

St. Jude Medical's Epiducer lead delivery system for neurostimulation therapy receives CE Mark approval
May 27, 2010 – St. Jude Medical, Inc., today announced European CE Mark approval of its new Epiducer™ lead delivery system for neurostimulation therapy. Unveiled at the Neurosurgery 2010 Congress in Lyon, France, the Epiducer lead delivery system allows the  introduction of S-Series perc-paddle leads as well as multiple lead arrays through a single percutaneous entry point, thus obviating the need to perform a laminotomy. (Med City News)

Spin-Off Device Companies Draw Venture Capital
May 26, 2010 - Some of the larger device companies have accumulated more technology than they can fully pursue and, rather than abandoning potentially beneficial therapies, they are spinning off these low-priority products into new start-ups. Biotech venture firms have been known to back pharmaceutical spin-offs and now they are looking to do the same with device technology. (Wall Street Journal)

Medtronic to Invest $70M in BioControl
May 24, 2010 - Globes in Israel reports that Medtronic Inc. (NYSE: MDT) will invest $70 million in a start-up company, BioControl Medical Ltd., which has developed a vagal nerve stimulator to treat heart failure. (Globes)

Dysphagia Wins a $25,000 Grant from the Innovation Fund of the Lorain County Community College Foundation
May 24, 2010 - Dysphagia will use this grant to develop a prototype of its neurostimulator for clinical trials. The device, which uses a sensor in the mouth to detect a "swallow event",  stimulates the trachea to close off the airway when food is being swallowed. (Massachusetts Medical Devices Journal)

Medtronic begins new spinal cord stimulator trials
May 6, 2010 - Medtronic has announced a U.S. clinical trail for its RestorSensor Neurostimulator for the treatment of Chronic pain. The device automatically adjusts the stimulation strength, based on the patient's body position and activity. Ten U.S. medical centers will enroll patients in the study.  The device already has received European approval. (Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal)

Boston Scientific begins ‘Evidence’ clinical trial for Precision Plus spinal device
May 3, 2010 - Boston Scientific has enrolled the first patient in the 132-patient trial, in which researchers will compare its spinal cord stimulator system with revision surgery for the treatment of failed back surgery syndrome. (Med City News)

Boston Scientific Eyes Selling its Neuromodulation Division
April 9, 2010 - Reuters reported that Boston Scientific, in the aftermath of a costly recall of certain heart defibrillators and debt following its 2006 acquisition of Guidant Corp., is considering selling its neuromodulation and neurovascular intervention businesses. Abbott Laboratories and Johnson & Johnson have been identified as potential bidders for the neuromodulation business. (Reuters)

St. Jude Medical Receives Australian TGA Regulatory and Reimbursement Approval for its Rechargeable Deep Brain Stimulator for Parkinson’s Disease
March 23, 2010 -  St. Jude Medical, Inc. reported that its Brio deep brain stimulation system to treat Parkinson's disease symptoms received the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration's regulatory and reimbursement approval. (RTTNews)

The Cleveland Clinic partners with Irish companies to develop new devices
March 23, 2010 - The Cleveland Clinic has partnered with Irish start-up companies to support the development of new medical devices. The Clinic also has teamed with The Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland and the Centre of Innovation in Surgical Technology. (Irish Times)

FDA panel backs Medtronic brain stimulator
March 12, 2010 - Federal health advisers say a brain stimulating device from Medtronic can be approved for epilespy, provided the company conducts follow-up safety studies. (Associated Press / Star Tribune)

FDA: Medtronic brain stimulator missed study goal
March 10, 2010 - The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday a nerve stimulating implant from Medtronic failed to significantly reduce seizures in epilepsy patients. Medtronic attributed the missed study goal to one patient who experienced a massive percent increase in seizures in the month after implantation. (Associated Press / Star Tribune)

Neurotech Reports Teams with International Neuromodulation Society for Online Database
March 4, 2010 - The new Online Database of Neuromodulation Products offers comprehensive information on existing and forthcoming products to treat neurological disorders and diseases. (Neurotech Business Report)

Epilepsy Market Poised for New Device Competition
March 4, 2010 - NeuroPace and Medtronic will soon join Cyberonics in the epilepsy device market.  (Neurotech Business Report)

EnteroMedics CEO Offers Explanation for Failed Obesity Trial
March 4, 2010 - The failure may stem from an unexpected therapeutic effect in the control arm of the study.  (Neurotech Business Report)

Commentary: Focus on Epilepsy
March 4, 2010 - Editor James Cavuoto comments on the market opportunity for neurosensing systems and neurosurgical tools created by neurosurgical treatment for epilepsy. (Neurotech Business Report)

OrbiMed Advisors raises $550M for health venture fund
February 22, 2010  - OrbiMed Advisors, which has invested in Ohio companies Athersys Inc. and ViewRay, has raised $550 million for its latest health venture capital fund. OrbiMed plans to invest 60 percent of the fund in biotechnology, 30 percent in medical devices and 10 percent in diagnostics, and will back a total of 25 to 30 companies, according to VentureWire. (Med City News)

MicroTransponder Inc. raises $7M
February 24, 2010 - The Austin company is testing a wireless neurostimulation platform that will treat chronic pain and other neurological indications. MicroTransponder did not name the investors, but said the latest contribution came from existing funders and angel investors. (Austin Business Journal)

Medtronic's Reclaim Deep Brain Stim Approved for Some OCD Sufferers
February 20, 2009 - Medtronic's Reclaim deep brain stimulation system has received a humanitarian device exemption (HDE) from the FDA for treatment of severe cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). (medGadget)

Case Western Reserve University licenses neuromodulation technology to Pennsylvania company
February 17, 2010 - Case Western Reserve University has licensed to a Pennsylvania company the right to make and sell three types of electrodes and a control unit used by researchers to do their neuromodulation work. (Med City News)

Medical Device Entrepreneurs Converge on Wings, a New Angel Investing Network
February 16, 2010 - People who make a living creating medical devices, like ultrasound machines or stents to prop open clogged arteries, have lived through a crummy 18 months. But that’s not discouraging a group of prominent medical device entrepreneurs from Seattle who are building the region’s first dedicated network of angel investors who have the money and expertise to bankroll new med-tech startups. (Xconomy News)

Medtronic launches 2 brain stimulation products
February 16, 2010 - Medtronic Inc. said Tuesday it began marketing two surgically implanted devices that are intended to help relieve symptoms for patients with neurodegenerative diseases. (AP / Seattle Times)

Chip maker Zarlink puts big bet on medical sector
February 12, 2010 - Five years after Kirk Mandy's return to resurrect Zarlink Semiconductor ZL.TO, the chief executive says the "heavy lifting" is done and it is time to see if strategic wagers will pay off for the one-time Canadian high-tech leader. (Reuters Canada)

Celebrating 30 Years Of Innovation In Neuromodulation, St. Jude Medical Unveils Latest Product At American Academy Of Pain Medicine Annual Meeting
February 4, 2010 - St. Jude Medical, Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of the Swift-Lock(TM) anchor, a new product designed to help physicians efficiently secure neurostimulation leads utilized in spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy for the management of chronic pain. (Medical News Today)

St. Jude Medical Announces Approval And Launch Of Neurostimulation System In Japan
January 19, 2010 - St. Jude Medical, Inc. announced regulatory approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) for the Genesis(TM) spinal cord stimulation system for the management of chronic pain.  (Medical News Today)

St. Jude Medical Receives FDA Approval for Industry-First Five-Column Neurostimulation Lead to Manage Chronic Pain
December 4, 2009 - St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and U.S. market introduction of its new Penta™ surgical lead for neurostimulation therapy. Unveiled at the annual North American Neuromodulation Society meeting... (Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News)

Press Releases

24 Feb 2010
10 Things to Know about Neuromodulation. Minimally Invasive Procedures to Reduce or Alleviate Pain.

04 Dec 2008
Largest Gathering of Neuromodulation Experts Explores Breaking Developments in Neurodevice Technologies at 12th North American Neuromodulation Society Meeting – Leading researchers and clinicians from the field of neuromodulation assembled today at the 12th annual meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS)...

20 Feb 2008
The International Neuromodulation Society Reports Record Growth in Professional Membership and Attendance at World Congress –Milestones Parallel Major Progress in the Field of Neuromodulation...

11 Dec 2007
First Study to Reduce Depression with Cortical Neuromodulation Implant Announced at International Neuromodulation Society World Congress –Implant Designed to Deliver Electrical Pulses to Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Shows Promise in Major Depression Disorder...

Significant Improvement in Post-Stroke Upper Limb Function Announced at International Neuromodulation Society World Congress

10 Dec 2007
The International Neuromodulation Society Announces Promising Results for Treating Anorexia Nervosa with Deep Brain Stimulation – Two-Year Study Reveals Effective Alternate Therapy for Devastating Eating Disorder...

03 Dec 2007
International Neuromodulation Society Announces Eighth World Congress in Acapulco, Mexico –Results to be presented from cutting-edge studies on novel treatments for depression, addiction disorders and stroke recovery... – Nerve Stimulation Results in Recovery of Arm, Hand, and Finger Movement...

06 Nov 2007
Media Alert - Neuromodulation 2007: Technology at the Neural Interface Conference –This year’s 8th World Congress of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS) will cover groundbreaking new clinical data and real-life applications for treating such diseases and impairments as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Depression, Stroke, Cardiac Disease, Eyesight & Hearing Loss and Paralysis using today’s newest neuromodulation therapies...

INS In The News

22 November 2011
INS Leaders are Featured in Daily Mail Article about the Use of Spinal Cord Stimulation for the Treatment of Chronic Sciatic Pain

12 September 2011
Neurotech Reports - Neurotech Startups Participate at International Neuromodulation Society Meeting

27 September 2010
The Daily Mail Online - Me and my operation: The remote control that switches off angina pain

31 Dec 2007
NeuroInsights - Highlights of the International Neuromodulation Society World Congress

29 Jan 2008
Virtual Medical Centre - New insights into deep brain stimulation were explored...

01 Feb 2008
Medical News Today - Promising Results For Treating Anorexia Nervosa With Deep Brain Stimulation...

Virtual Medical Centre- New insights into deep brain stimulation, an emerging therapy used to treat a number of diseases of the brain...

15 Feb 2008
mediLexicon- Does Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Hold Promise For Treating Eating Disorders?

09 Dec 2008
Sacramento Bee- Magnets offering jolt out of dark
Click here –to view an image of Ms. Smith being treated with transcranial magnetic stimulation

INS Newsletter
 
 

Media Contact

Tia Sofatzis
Executive Director
2000 Van Ness Ave.,#402
San Francisco, CA 94109
USA

Tel: +1 415 683 3237
INS@neuromodulation.com
     

 
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