Carilion Clinic is the first in Virginia to offer a new treatment for post-stroke patients to restore upper limb function.
Paired with occupational therapy, vagus nerve stimulation with the Vivistim implant can improve a patient’s arm and hand function—two to three times more improvement than solely doing therapy.
“The vagus nerve, when it’s stimulated, promotes healing in the brain and plasticity in the brain. It’s helping create healing and networks around that damaged tissue to help you relearn the tasks that you were able to do prior to the stroke,” explains Dr. Justin Weppner, D.O., section chief, Carilion Roanoke Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. “Generally, we start seeing recovery and improvements within that first one to two weeks with therapies.”
The FDA approved Vivistim in 2021, and Carilion Clinic reached this milestone with patients this past May. During occupational therapy, the therapist sends signals to the implant while the patient performs functional tasks, like buttoning a shirt. This pairing strengthens neural connections.
“Collaboration among Carilion neurosurgeons, physiatrists, and occupational therapists for enhanced stroke therapy provides an incredible approach, which we believe can drastically improve the quality of stroke patients’ lives,” says Weppner.
This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue.
