Newswise — Stroke researchers at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston are the only ones in Texas to offer a novel device that might extend the acute stroke treatment window from three hours to 24.
The miniature neurostimulator, about the size of a staple, is implanted near the sphenopalatine ganglion, a nerve located in the roof of the patient’s mouth, within 24 hours of the onset of acute ischemic stroke. The minimally invasive procedure takes less than 30 minutes and is performed under local anesthesia.
Pioneered by an Israeli-based company called Brainsgate, a donut-shaped transmitter is placed on the patient’s cheek near the implanted device. A steady stream of electrical stimulation is delivered for several hours a day over a five-day period. The neurostimulator is then removed from the patient’s mouth.
“Neurostimulation has been successfully used for years in patients with epilepsy,” said Dr. David Chiu, medical director of the Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center and the study’s primary investigator at Methodist. “We know that stimulating the sphenopalatine ganglion can dilate arteries so that more blood flow is delivered to the stroke-affected hemisphere of the brain.”
The trial, called impact-24 (Implant for Augmentation of CBF Trial in a 24 hour window), is a multi-center, randomized, double blind study taking place over the next two years. Methodist is one of six locations in the United States to offer this feasibility study. If study results are favorable, the Food and Drug Administration may broaden the trial to include more U.S. patients.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of long-term adult disability in the United States. Ischemic stroke, or a blood clot to the brain, affects 750,000 Americans each year. The only current FDA-approved treatment is tPA, but the drug must be administered within three hours of symptom onset.
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About the Methodist Neurological Institute Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center
With 18 beds, the Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston is the largest dedicated stroke unit in the Texas Medical Center and designated a certified primary stroke center by The Joint Commission. The Center is a leader in all areas of stroke research, including diagnosis, innovative treatment, prevention, rehabilitation and recovery.
The Methodist Neurological Institute houses the practice and research activities of the departments of neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, neurophysiology and physical medicine & rehabilitation at The Methodist Hospital.
Methodist is primarily affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital. Methodist is also affiliated with the University of Houston. Listed as an Honor Roll hospital and ranked among the country’s top centers in 15 specialties in U.S News & World Report’s 2009 “America’s Best Hospitals” issue, Methodist is ranked in more specialties than any other hospital in Texas, and is 13th in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery.
For more on the Methodist’s stroke program, visit www.methodisthealth.com/stroke or call 713-790-3333.
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