New Device Improves Stroke Patients’ Mobility
Delmar Stroke Survivor Benefits from Breakthrough Device Aimed at Improving Mobility
Before her stroke, Jenna Shersky enjoyed an active lifestyle—skiing, biking, long walks, and day trips to New York City. Two years after, it’s not those things she misses most as much as the simpler things, like folding laundry, writing, and tying her hair in a ponytail.
With the help of a breakthrough device now available at Albany Medical Center, she hopes to be back to doing those things soon.
“Everything just came to a stop,” said Shersky, 46, of the stroke that took place in May of 2022. A clinical social worker at the time, she was preparing for work when she collapsed suddenly and couldn’t get up. Recognizing that she had some characteristic stroke symptoms—loss of balance and speech and one side of her face drooping—her husband called 911.
She was rushed to Albany Medical Center and treated for an ischemic stroke—a common but serious stroke that occurs when a blood vessel to the brain is clogged. Unbeknownst to Shersky, she had a small opening in her heart that hadn’t closed at birth, allowing the clot to travel through. Survivors of these strokes are often left with some impairment to speech and cognitive and motor functions.
“My left side of my body was paralyzed, and that also happens to be my dominant side,” said Shersky, who has undergone rehabilitation since. Eager to regain function, she began researching newer therapies, leading her to contact Albany Medical Center’s Department of Neurosurgery, where surgeons at the forefront of new technology and treatments were already working to bring a new breakthrough device to Albany.
Shersky was recently the first patient at Albany Medical Center to be implanted with a device intended to improve arm and hand mobility for patients who have suffered an ischemic stroke and are no longer improving with rehabilitation. MicroTransponder’s Vivistim Paired VNS System is an FDA-approved technology that uses vagus nerve stimulation during rehabilitation. Studies in chronic stroke survivors have demonstrated that upper limb rehabilitation used in conjunction with the Vivistim System resulted in two to three times greater arm and hand function than therapy alone. Albany Medical Center is the only facility in northeastern New York offering the procedure.
Alexandra Paul, MD, endovascular neurosurgeon, performed the outpatient procedure in September.
“Like many ischemic stroke survivors, Jenna’s rehabilitation therapy had reached a plateau, but she has already noticed progress since using the Vivistim therapy,” said Dr. Paul.
The small palm-sized device was placed in Shersky’s upper left chest. During rehabilitation, her therapists use a wireless transmitter that communicates with software to signal the Vivistim device to deliver a gentle pulse to her vagus nerve—part of the nervous system where bodily functions are controlled—while Shersky performs a specific task, such as opening a door, preparing food, or getting dressed.
Frances Williams, occupational therapist, at Albany Medical Center’s Outpatient Therapy Clinic, is specially trained to help patients work with the device.
The pairing of rehabilitation exercise with vagus nerve stimulation helps strengthen neural connections to improve upper limb function.
“Vivistim is the most promising technology for stroke survivors with chronic upper limb impairment that has emerged over the course of my entire career in occupational therapy,” she said. “Since finishing her first round of vagus nerve stimulation-paired occupational therapy, we’ve already observed that Jenna has been able to use her weaker arm for more daily tasks. The research behind this and Jenna’s progress has been so encouraging and inspiring to see, that I hope as word gets out this will become part of the standard of care for all ischemic stroke survivors with moderate to severe limb impairment.”
“We’re grateful to have the resources and support from our rehab partners to offer this revolutionary treatment to stroke survivors,” said Dr. Paul. “As we continue to leverage advanced technology for the rapid treatment of stroke patients, it is even more important that we offer patients treatments that will continue to help them in their recovery, enabling them to regain their independence and improve their quality of life.”
Shersky hopes her progress will inspire others. “I’m slowly beginning to see some progress in activities like opening doors and pushing something across the counter and I believe I’ll continue to get good results,” she said. “I’m fortunate to be the first patient in the region to receive this therapy and I hope more patients will learn about the technology so they can benefit as well.”
According to Jason Gagnon, DPT, manager of Outpatient Therapy, as more patients are approved for the procedure, the hope is to expand it throughout the Albany Med Health System. “The long-term vision of the Vivistim partnership is to leverage our therapy services throughout the entire System’s service area to allow patients to complete rehabilitation in locations convenient to their home and work,” he said.