Vivistim Stroke Recovery Program

Burke Rehabilitation participates in the Vivistim Stroke Recovery Program for patients experiencing upper limb impairment after a stroke.

What is the Vivistim Stroke Recovery Program?

Vivistim is a FDA-approved implantable device in the chest which stimulates the vagus nerve, the nerve that carries signals between your brain, heart and digestive system. Vivistim creates new pathways in the brain and boosts brain rewiring for improved upper extremity function.

Our trained occupational therapists work with chronic stroke survivors to regain movement and teach strategies on how to relearn and incorporate the affected upper extremity into activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and leisure activities with use of paired vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).

How does the Vivistim Stroke Recovery Program work?

Vivistim helps with recovering arm/hand function in chronic stroke survivors by promoting new connections from the brain and hand by stimulating the vagus nerve. The stimulation helps promote changes in the way the brain connects to the arm/hand to improve movement and function. Research shows vagus nerves stimulation along with occupational therapy can improve arm recovery 2-3 times more than standard therapy alone.

What to expect from the Vivistim Stroke Recovery Program?

Once a referral is received from your physician, you will participate in a thorough occupational therapy evaluation. This will consist of assessing:

• Current functional status of ADL and IADL activities
• Upper extremity range of motion, coordination, tone assessment
• Goals for therapy

Once you meet the candidacy criteria and receive clearance from a neurosurgeon, you will start the Vivistim protocol two (2) weeks after the device is implanted.

The Vivistim Stroke Recovery Program program includes in-clinic and at-home participation.

• The in-clinic participation consists of 90-minute one-on-one occupational therapy treatment sessions, three times a week for six (6) weeks. You will participate in various meaningful and functional related activities with a therapist providing paired vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) simultaneously during upper limb movements.
• Treatment sessions focus on paired VNS incorporating the following neuroplastic principles:
  • High repetitions targeting 300-500 repetitions
  • High intensity, relevant and meaningful and task-specific training
• For the at-home portion, you will also receive a magnet to turn on the Vivistim device, up to 6-8 times per day, providing vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for 30-minute intervals. You can work on upper limb functioning while incorporating the affected upper limb into daily tasks.

Who can benefit from the Vivistim Stroke Recovery Therapy?

• Chronic ischemic stroke survivors (at least 6 months post stroke) who are 18 years and older
• Stroke survivors with moderate to severe upper extremity impairments with relation to functional tasks