From Stroke to Summit: Enhancing the Rehabilitation Journey with BrainQ
When Celia felt a tingling in her lips the morning of August 8, she didn’t immediately recognize the warning signs. By the time she took her blonde poodle, Lovee, outside for a second walk, everything had changed. “I just fell over,” she recalls. Fortunately, a neighbor who was a nurse stopped to help and called 911.
Every stroke is different. Celia’s affected her left side, compromising arm and leg function. After several days of acute diagnosis and treatment at a New Jersey hospital, she transferred to Burke Rehabilitation Hospital. Upon initial assessment, there was very little she could do without help. She needed assistance to get out of bed, get dressed and walk.
As the multidisciplinary care team—and Celia herself—worked hard to get her better, her recovery journey also took an innovative turn. Celia was invited to participate in an important clinical trial at Burke that uses neuromodulation to potentially influence the brain’s ability to recover from stroke.
The trial, sponsored by BRAIN.Q Ltd., tests a wearable noninvasive device, the AI-powered Q Therapeutic System (BQ 3.0). The device delivers very low frequency and intensity electromagnetic stimulation to the brain’s damaged neural networks, which researchers hope will lead to reducing disability and promoting neurorecovery after stroke. The trial works in conjunction with standard post-stroke therapy, the intensive medical and physical rehabilitation that Celia benefitted from at Burke.
The Power of ‘Going for It’
Celia called her son for advice on joining the trial. “Go for it,” he said. “You have nothing to lose.” The trial staff, including Josette Hartnett, MPH, Senior Manager of Clinical Research Compliance, thoroughly explained everything about participating in the trial, and Celia felt comfortable moving forward. She received headgear, a knapsack of equipment, and an iPad for occupational and physical therapy exercises.
“With BrainQ, I put my everything into regaining my mobility,” she says. “I certainly wasn’t going to just lay around in bed.”
“We are inspired by all of our trial participants, including Celia, whose motivation and commitment to recovery remind us why this work matters,” said Josette. “While evidence-based stroke rehabilitation research has grown in recent years, nearly 75% of stroke survivors continue to live with long-term disability. This partnership is testing one of the ways we can revolutionize our approaches in stroke recovery to significantly improve outcomes for stroke survivors, while making quality care more accessible and sustainable.”
“The Long Recovery”
While the trial began in the hospital, while Celia was in the midst of intensive physical rehab, the trial continued once she went home. That’s by design, to expand accessibility of stroke recovery in the comfort of one’s own home. The BQ 3.0 protocol requires five 40-minute sessions per week, which Celia integrates seamlessly into her morning routine.
“I call it my Frankenstein hat,” she jokes. “Putting it on is so simple that anybody could do it. I drink coffee and watch the news while I’m doing it.”
After all, notes Dr. Mery Elashvili, MD, DO, Director Stroke Rehabilitation, “Stroke rehabilitation does not end at the inpatient rehab level. There are different levels of rehab, and we are part of the long recovery”
Celia has made—and continues to make—a remarkable recovery. She’s walking independently with a cane and regaining activities she thought might be lost. She polished her nails recently, a small victory that signifies daily progress. Her next goal? Putting her hair in a ponytail, something her left hand can’t quite manage yet.
For Celia, who believes in giving back to her community and has served on boards of the YWCA and her children’s summer camp, participation holds deeper meaning. On Burke’s stroke unit, she witnessed patients with far more severe deficits than her own. “I hope this gets approved and really does help people,” she reflects.
Her perspective on the entire experience is characteristically optimistic. “This is just another mountain to climb in life,” she says. “I’m almost at the top of this one. I did my best, and my best is certainly enough.”
