Stroke survivors across the North West to benefit from pioneering treatment

The Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust is working on creating a portable, pacemaker-like device

Author: Oliver MorganPublished 4th Aug 2024

Thousands of stroke survivors across Greater Manchester could benefit from pioneering treatment.

Researches at the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust are working on a portable, pacemaker-like device.

If the innovative project is successful, we're told it'll improve life for almost 37,000 people in the UK every year left with permanent arm weakness after a stroke.

In Manchester, the so-called TRICEPS study is being led by researchers from Manchester Local Care Organisation’s South Manchester Community Stroke Team, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT).

Stroke impacts around 110,000 people in the UK

The research comes as every year, around 110,000 people in the UK will suffer from a stroke, which is a serious life-threatening medical condition that happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.

NHS statistics reveal that a third of survivors are left with permanent arm weakness which can make daily activities difficult.

Under the TRICEPS study, researchers will build on the results of an earlier clinical trial, which showed that stimulating damaged areas of the brain through a key nerve in the body, known as the vagus nerve, improved arm recovery in stroke survivors when combined with stroke therapy – more than through therapy alone.

Researchers hope that the portable, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (TVNS) device, which stimulates the vagus nerve through the skin – avoiding the need for surgery, will mean larger numbers of stroke patients could benefit from this treatment.

Stephen Hewitt, 54, is the first participant in the North West recruited to the TRICEPS study.

He suffered from a stroke in April 2022, and was left unable to walk for approximately eight months.

The left side of his body was paralysed for weeks, and two years later he still has limited control of his left arm.

He also is undergoing speech therapy, which is how he learnt about the TRICEPS study.

'It’s easy to take for granted just how much we use both arms in everyday life'

Stephen, a former telecommunications Strategy Manager in who lives in Baguley, South Manchester said: “It’s easy to take for granted just how much we use both arms in everyday life. I had more than 50 years of passing things to my left hand without a second thought, but now when I do so things end up on the floor – I’ve lost a lot of cups and saucers that way. I have had to learn to adapt, just to carry out ordinary activities, so any improvement to mobility in my left arm will make a huge difference.

“I may have slightly selfish reasons for hoping this treatment works, but I believe any research that can help find new ways to treat or expand knowledge around stroke is important. If by taking part in this study I could be helping all stroke survivors now, or in the future, I want to do so.”

In the TRICEPS study, TVNS is triggered via a lightweight, wearable device which connects to a wired earpiece. The stimulation is automatically activated as the arm is moved during therapy and for the user, feels like a gentle tickle to the ear.

'We can see how much it means to stroke survivors'

Leanne Calcutt, from the South Manchester Community Stroke Team, said: “We are delighted to be bringing this exciting study to Manchester. Working with stroke survivors, we can see how much it means to them to regain any pre-stroke levels of strength and mobility and a sense of how that can have a significant impact on their quality of life.

“By conducting this research, we aim to learn if this is an effective approach in improving recovery after stroke that can be rolled out at scale to large numbers of patients.”

Participants will wear the device for an hour, five times a week as they carry out their stroke rehabilitation exercises at home with the support of community physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

Stephen added: “It’s great that this new treatment involves something mobile phone-sized that you just connect to your ear using a small earpiece, is very portable and is non-invasive. For me, being able to avoid surgery is a huge step and could make this treatment accessible to more stroke survivors.”

Participants will be randomised to receive self-delivered rehabilitation therapy and TVNS or self-delivered rehabilitation therapy and ‘sham’ TVNS (which produces only very low stimulation). Participants and researchers will not know which treatment they are receiving.

Up to 243 patients from 15 UK stroke centres are set to be enrolled into the “TRanscutaneous lImb reCovEry Post-Stroke (TRICEPS)” study over the next two years. TRICEPS is led by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

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