Therapeutic Device Reduces Disability Following Stroke

Artificial intelligence (AI) powered therapy generates electromagnetic fields that enhance recovery and reduce disability caused by ischemic stroke.

The BrainQ (Jerusalem, Israel) BQ System is a cloud-connected wearable device that delivers extremely low frequency low intensity electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF), tailored to the individual patient. By measuring several electrophysiology measures, such as electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), and magnetoencephalography (MEG), which characterize the neural oscillatory activity, the device can deliver the neuromodulatory ELF-EMF therapy at specific frequencies to influence these oscillations and aid neurorecovery.

The BQ System extends the window of opportunity for stroke treatment from several hours during the acute phase to days and even weeks in the sub-acute phase following stroke. The effect of ELF-EMF on recovery from neurological conditions include evidences of changes in calcium signaling, which is known to influence and mediate nearly all cellular processes; proliferation, as well as differentiation, of multiple cell types (including neurogenesis of neural stem cells); peripheral nerve regeneration; effects on polar molecules, likely responsible for the development of the neural projections; and changes in plasticity-related growth factor levels in humans.

“Stroke is a debilitating condition with limited recovery options, creating a huge unmet need in the United States. Covid-19 has only made things worse by limiting patients' access to treatment facilities,” said Yotam Drechsler, CEO and co-founder of BrainQ. “We are on the verge of a new era where AI- based precision medicine will be used to treat neurodisorders, which do not have a sufficient solution to date.”

Neuroplasticity describes the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. These changes range from individual neuron pathways making new connections, to systematic adjustments like cortical remapping. Neuroplasticity was once thought to exist only during childhood, but research has shown that activity-dependent plasticity, which can manifest even in adulthood, can have significant implications for recovery from brain damage.

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