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Neurorestoration - OT

Paired VNS Therapy Clinical Care

If you or your loved one had an ischemic stroke and continue to have weakness in the arm, then there's something called a Vivistim device that might help. It's approved by the FDA. This device works with therapy to make the arm stronger. It sends messages to gently stimulate a special nerve in the neck called the vagus nerve, which helps the brain talk to the muscles better. So if it’s not easy to move the arm since your stroke, this could help to recover movement.

You can ask your provider to write an order for Occupational Therapy with comments “Vivistim Therapy Evaluation – evaluate and treat” for you. Starting as soon as four months after a stroke, and as long as 30 years after a stroke, you can schedule an assessment with a Vivistim trained occupational therapist at one of the following convenient locations:

Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehab Locations Call for Evaluation
Moss Elkins Park, PA 215-663-6354
Moss Jenkintown, PA 215-884-9050
Moss Tabor Road, PA 215-456-9800
Jefferson Center City Philadelphia, PA 215-955-1200
Magee Riverfront, Philadelphia, PA 215-218-3900
Magee Cherry Hill, NJ 856-922-5090
Jefferson Washington Township, NJ 856-256-7871

If the occupational therapist finds you are a good candidate, they will send you to a Jefferson neurosurgeon and if they agree, then you would be a candidate to receive the Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) implanted device. To enable the recovery of hand and arm function, the device must be used with a skilled therapist. 

There are two ways this stimulation paired to therapy can be done. The first way is to participate in 18 90-minute occupational therapy visits, usually done as three in-person visits per week for six weeks. The second way is to compress all the training into one week by going to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital and living in the hospital for one week, where you would do intensive therapy every day. The first way is like a marathon, and the second way is like a sprint. Both have been shown to be beneficial.  

If you' have additional questions about Paired VNS therapy for stroke recovery, please contact Erica Jones at  215-503-4042 or  send an email to CenterNR@jefferson.edu

To make sure that the Vivistim system is providing the benefits we hope to provide, we invite all people who are scheduled to receive a Vivistim device to participate in our GRASP research study. 

The purpose of the Vivistim Registry for Paired VNS Therapy (GRASP) is to provide real-world usage and outcomes data on the Vivistim System. The patient outcome Registry will collect follow-up data on Vivistim implanted patients treated with Paired VNS Therapy after FDA approval.

Information about participants medical history, implant and quality of life will be gathered on patients who consider implant of the Vivistim System. Data will be collected at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months after implantation, and then yearly thereafter for up to 3 years post-implant. Patients who decide not to have the Vivistim System implanted can continue to have data collected for comparison purposes.

The Vivistim Registry for Paired VNS Therapy (GRASP) is listed on ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05301140 and is currently enrolling. 

Find more information about Vivistim on our clinical resources page or at Vivistim.com

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