'It's given me hope': Stroke patient amazed by new rehab device

"It's just amazing... it makes you want to cry because you know you can do it. It's just positivity all the way now."

The heartwarming testimony of 52-year-old stroke patient Lisa Vincent, who is one of the first to test a novel stroke rehabilitation device that could help her regain the movement she lost.

Vincent has been working with researchers for about two months, completing eight sessions with the device after suffering a stroke four years ago that rendered her left arm immobile and rigid.

"I lost my life. I lost my job. I lost everything," Vincent told Reuters during one of the therapy sessions.

"I thought, oh, it's not going to work for me... But then when I started moving, that was like birthday, Christmas, everything all rolled into one. Was the best day of my life. The best day."

Developed by Neubond, a spin-out from Imperial College London, the pilot phase of the trial involves people attending a stroke support group in Chiswick, west London. The researchers have been working with four stroke victims, each suffering from impaired motor function.

The prototype wearable tech is strapped around the forearm. It is embedded with electrodes that detect muscle activation and stimulators that activate the patient nerves—"a tingling and then a like deep massage" feeling, according to Vincent.

By connecting sensory stimulation to the muscle activity, the device encourages neuroplasticity in the brain—essentially helping rewire the patient's brain to the limb to boost motor control.

"Let's say when you want to grasp an object, normally what is happening is that your brain is sending a signal to your muscles. So this device is able to capture this data," explained Neubond co-founder Patrick Sagastegui.

"It calculates which muscle is becoming active to then trigger a stimulation within the same muscle, which first will enhance the contraction, and second, it will be like a message that you will send back to the brain, and it will rewire the activity and the connections between the brain and the muscle. So then you regain mobility."

Screenshot of the video featuring Neubond's stroke rehabilitation device (Reuters/Handout)

Led by co-founders Patrick Sagastegui and Jumpei Kashiwakura, Neubond hopes to improve the lives of people with impaired motor function with a device that can be used anywhere, seamlessly integrating into daily routines.

For Vincent, the device has helped the spasticity of her left arm, which was completely rigid but is now able to bend and flex with much more control than she previously thought possible. It's even allowed her to hold her infant granddaughter.

"I cried myself to sleep that night. It was amazing that I could do that eventually," she said.

"And that's a memory I'll keep for a long time because of you guys. Honestly, I can't thank you enough," Vincent added, speaking to Sagastegui and Kashiwakura.

"I'm so proud of you," replied Kashiwakura.

Another stroke patient involved in the pilot trials is 62-year-old Faisal Hussain, who suffered a severe brain hemorrhage, leaving him initially completely paralyzed and in hospital for six months.

When using the Neubond device, Hussain was able to move his right arm, causing a gasp from wife Sophia, who was seated next to him.

"Just seeing that... I can see he's felt something and remembered, and it's actually moved. So it is quite amazing to see," she told Reuters.

While the Neubond device has given a semblance of hope, Sophia understands the path to recovery will be very slow.

"I think is amazing compared to what he was when he initially had it [the stroke]. But it's hard for us to forget what he was like before, so... it's a very difficult journey," she said.

Following this initial small-scale pilot trial, the Neubond team will start a new trial in January 2025 at Charing Cross Hospital in London with a larger cohort of 20 patients, conducting a pilot evaluation to validate the device's therapeutic effectiveness in improving functional movements.

They will also initiate the regulatory process to ensure the device meets medical standards and work towards its certification. Their next step is to collaborate with private clinics to bring the device to market. —Reuters