NanoPhoria’s Post

New research investigating customised robotic therapy protocol for the upper limb in stroke patients. The rehabilitation program included AMADEO, DIEGO and PABLO by Tyromotion. See below for more details and follow the link to learn more! #research #strokerehab #strokerehabilitation #strokeresearch #stroke

MOTIONrehab complete a comprehensive assessment and tailor therapy to an individual patients presentation to maximise outcomes. MOTIONrehab's approach is again supported by the evidence. #tyromotion #evidencedbased #intensiveneurorehabilitation #motionrehab #neurophysiotherapy #occupationaltherapy

Thank you to Prof. Kip Ludwig for an interesting talk about VNS. There are a lot of information gained from this video, as listed in the comment section. And here are my questions: 1. If higher stimulation intensity is needed to activate certain fibre, what improvement or optimization can we do on the electrode to avoid the complications? 2. As we usually begin the programming by giving only 0.25 mA of stimulation, but the amount of stimulation intensity needed to activate the targeted fibre is higher while smaller intensity might activate the fibre that we should avoid activating, how can we work on the programming to allow earlier activation of targeted fibre while avoiding the complications at the same time? 3. As stimulating the skin of a neck to activate a certain brain region (NTS for example) might involve the participation of many nerves, what can we do on the electrode/stimulation site or any other aspect to allow a precise stimulation? Or stimulating those nerves together is an advantage of non-invasive VNS? 4. If activation of certain fibre can be achieved by not directly stimulating the nerve, can we actually switch our stimulation site to avoid complications or place more than one electrode on different sites (or a morphing electrode) to allow stimulation on different portion of vagus nerve? 5. Is NTS a very significant brain region when studying VNS? Anyway, I would be very grateful for any chance given to work on these 5 questions. Wishing the world of "vagus nerve stimulation" a better future ahead!

👁 PRESS RELEASE Realheart to Present Positive Results From Two Preclinical Studies Evaluating Treatment Safety of Its Total Artificial Heart at ISMCS - International Society for Mechanical Circulatory Support 2024. 👉🏿 As part of the preclinical development program of Realheart® TAH, the company has evaluated the mechanical stress effects of its total artificial heart on human blood, as well as its capability to respond adequately to varying blood flow demands in the cardiovascular system. In the current studies, the performance of Realheart® TAH was compared to a market-leading product. 👉🏿 Link to the press release: https://lnkd.in/dyRqTGn2 🧡 Thank you to everyone involved for the extremely valuable collaboration. Smartare Elektroniksystem Vinnova Formas, ett forskningsråd för hållbar utveckling Energimyndigheten Faisal Zaman Kerstin Jönsson Videsäter Simon Videsäter Tatiana Khudur Thomas Finocchiaro Ina Laura Perkins Seraina Anne Dual Daniel Jonasson Emanuele Perra Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset Karolinska Institutet Kungliga Tekniska högskolan #HeartFailure #TotalArtificialHeart #ArtificialOrgans #Medtech #LifeScience

Interested in better understanding the basics of peripheral nerve stimulation? I highly recommend this video of Kip Ludwig nicely summarizing VNS approaches [+ some baroreflex activation (BAT)] and the importance of: - Understanding the anatomy and the many neural pathways involved - Different pathways for different treatments (e.g. epilepsy different than HF) - What pathways cause unwanted side effects - Target neural tissue makeup and order of fiber type activation - Electrode dimensions and spacing - Monopolar vs. bipolar, anode-cathode separation, and depth of electric field penetration - Distance between electrode and target - small increases in distance have big implications There are many "bioplausible BS explanations" often with the MoA poorly understood. At the 17:30 mark, BAT is discussed as an example of activating a "simple" pathway (fibers specific to baroreflex and not much else) with a well known MoA, resulting in long-term and reversible hemodynamic effects. A lot of great work summarized and more to come from Kip Ludwig, Andrew Shoffstall, and Warren Grill!

Dr. Frost is a professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston). This is his second NETRF award: “In this proposal, we will determine why different forms of oxidative stress work together to kill gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (GEP-NET) cells and demonstrate that this approach works to destroy GEP-NET tumors in experimental models. I would like to sincerely thank the donors. Funding this application will allow us to test an entirely new way to target GEP-NETs by interfering with the tumor’s ability to defuse oxidative stress, which may prove significantly more effective than current treatments.” Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eYtTwpYM

Thank you to the NIH SPARC Program and the Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota for asking me to give this recorded talk to outline recent findings about the neural pathways presumed responsible for vagus nerve stimulation benefits across a variety of therapeutic indications, and how the neuroanatomy responsible for limiting side effects differs between surgical implanted epineural cuffs (iVNS), transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation (tcVNS), and transcutaneous auricular vagus stimulation (taVNS). As we can't see the electric field applied, understanding the physics of each neural interface and the neuroanatomy responsible for the side effects reported is a key tool in understanding what pathways you are activating for each modality in each patient. It's really important to connect what we are learning across therapeutic indications and VNS modalities; the dosing appears more complex than we originally assumed and we have a lot to learn from each other. I'm hoping this talk can start a conversation so we all can improve the scientific rigor in our studies of iVNS, tcVNS and taVNS and ultimately help more patients. https://lnkd.in/d3vzJ9K7

Very interesting discussion here.

Key Takeaways from the Talk: Invasive vs. Non-Invasive Techniques: Kip explains the technical differences between invasive methods, which involve surgically implanted devices, and non-invasive methods that use surface electrodes. He provides insight into how each method affects different fiber types within the vagus nerve, which is crucial for tailoring treatments to patient needs. Electrode Design and Effects: The discussion includes how electrode configurations, charge density, and spacing influence the efficacy and precision of nerve stimulation. Ludwig addresses the misconception that non-invasive methods can selectively stimulate deeper nerve fibers. Debunking Previous Assumptions: Kip corrects outdated beliefs, such as the activation of C fibers during invasive stimulation, revealing that lower stimulation levels actually activate motor fibers controlling neck muscles. Challenges in Research and Application: He highlights the complexity of achieving desired therapeutic outcomes without side effects, noting the steep fall-off of the electric field from electrodes and the challenges in dosing for conditions like stroke rehabilitation. Future Research Needs: The need for more refined research is emphasized, particularly in understanding how different stimulation levels affect the body and how continuous stimulation might alter sympathetic and parasympathetic tone over time. Clinical Implications and Innovations: Kip points out that much of the current understanding and application of VNS is based on limited or outdated research, urging for improved study designs and reporting standards to better harness the technology’s potential.

Muscle "weakness" is commonly assessed using techniques that fail to identify if that weakness is the result of a reduced force-generating ability, impaired (neural) access to that ability, or both. Knowing which can mean the difference between prescribing effective interventions versus not. Did you know that people post-stroke often have residual force-generating ability that they can't access voluntarily? Did you know that the magnitude of this latent force-generating ability is associated with persisting gait impairments in the chronic phase of recovery? And did you know that similar deficits in plantarflexor central drive are present with age-related neuromuscular decline and other neurological conditions? Knowing isn't enough!! Clinicians need to be able to measure the problem to treat the problem. In collaboration with Conor Walsh's Biodesign Lab, we are advancing new point-of-care diagnostic technologies that can fill this clinical measurement gap. Check out Dave Sherman's great summary of our recent paper in Bioengineering MDPI presenting the CEntral DRive System (CEDRS) - a project co-led by Ashley Collimore, PhD from Boston University Sargent College's Neuromotor Recovery Lab and Jonathan Alvarez from Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences's Biodesign Lab. https://lnkd.in/edHxejq6