How does it work?
An anti-paralysis button A start-up in Lausanne hopes to improve the re-education of paralysed limbs. The idea is to give patients greater control over therapy. Text: Daniel Saraga Infographic: Ikonaut Strokes and paralysis A stroke deprives areas of the brain of oxygen and can lead to paralysed limbs. Where paralysis is comprehensive, the patient can only move with external help. Patient participation The start-up Intento, which began life at EPFL, brings a new element to therapy: a variable resistor, under the control of the patient, allows the intensity of the signal to be changed. “The patient is no longer just passive, he or she decides when to trigger the movement”, says Andrea Biasiucci, one of Intento’s co-founders. A clinical trial at CHUV on 11 patients shows that the method improved arm and hand movement in 80 percent of cases. “They were able to carry out more complex movements”.
Stimulating muscles Using functional electric stimulation, a series of low-intensity shocks is sent through the part of the nervous system controlling the muscles. The result is that the muscles move in a certain way, which allows the patient to complete physiotherapy exercises. In severe cases, however, the efficacy of this method is not yet established.
Home therapy The researchers have developed a device for patients to use in their own homes, after they have been discharged from the rehabilitation centre. It’s a band containing electrodes that the patient can fit themselves. Swiss National Science Foundation – Swiss Academies: Horizons No. 112
49