Burke Rehabilitation Hospital is expanding access to multiple recovery options for stroke survivors this May, including enrollment in the BrainQ EMAGINE trial (NCT06386874), an outpatient Vivistim vagus nerve stimulation program, trials of transcranial direct current stimulation for aphasia, and the use of cryoneurolysis to treat spasticity, the hospital’s neurorehabilitation lead Andrew Abdou, DO, told NeurologyLive.
Abdou said Burke is recruiting for the BrainQ EMAGINE study, a non‑invasive electromagnetic stimulation program meant for both acute and chronic stroke patients. Patients in the trial use a wearable device about 45 minutes a day, three to five days a week, paired with tablet‑guided exercises.
Burke is also offering Vivistim, an implanted vagus nerve stimulation device used during structured occupational therapy for upper‑limb recovery. "We’re seeing patients who had not made gains in years start making gains again," Abdou said, describing the device as reactivating recovery pathways when patients are paired with therapy.
For spasticity, Burke has added cryoneurolysis to its options. Abdou said cryoneurolysis produces immediate effects and lasts longer than botulinum toxin injections, expanding choices for chronic‑phase patients who have limited benefit from oral meds or prior injections.
Abdou emphasized continuity of care and neuroplasticity as core recovery principles. He noted the highest rates of functional recovery occur in the first 3, 6 and 12 months after stroke, but said these technologies and longer‑term outpatient programs can help patients make gains beyond those windows. He also highlighted lifestyle medicine—nutrition, exercise, sleep and social support—as a complementary pathway to improve recovery and reduce recurrent stroke risk.
Abdou’s remarks were given in the context of Stroke Awareness Month, observed in May to promote prevention, early recognition and secondary prevention strategies.
Photo credit: cdn.sanity.io
Tags: vagus nerve stimulation, non-invasive brain stimulation, cryoneurolysis, stroke rehabilitation, BrainQ (EMAGINE)
Topics: Non-invasive brain stimulation, Neuromodulation, Vagus nerve & taVNS