NEWTOWN, PA — Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSDT) this week announced the publication of a white paper demonstrating that rehabilitative treatment with the Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (“PoNS®”) can drastically improve return-to-work (“RTW”) outcomes for patients suffering from TBI. The report, entitled “Evaluating the Real-World Impact of PoNS Therapy™ on Return-to-Work Outcomes in Individuals on Long-Term Disability due to Traumatic Brain Injury,” was co-sponsored by Pacific Blue Cross (“PBC”) and HealthTech Connex (“HTC”), and performed at the Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic. The Centre for Neurology Studies collected and analyzed the data and released it in a white paper, which can be found on HTC’s website.
Nearly seven million people in North America suffer from chronic balance deficit and other disabilities related to TBI, which negatively affects a person’s ability to work and their overall quality of life. Rehabilitation therapy is the current standard of care. However, its efficacy varies widely, and many patients reach plateaus over time or even lose some function regained through rehabilitation. As a result, the RTW rate, at approximately 40%, is relatively low, and a significant percentage of patients end up on long-term disability, often permanently.
Because PoNS Therapy has demonstrated the ability to improve balance and gait significantly in this underserved population, PBC contracted HTC to deliver treatment with PoNS to nine patients suffering from long-term TBI-related disabilities. The program participants included patients who were at least two years post-injury, who did not respond to standard rehabilitation treatments, and for whom RTW was not expected. The study was designed to track and report occupational performance and durable (over six months) RTW status for the nine patients who received PoNS Therapy, which is administered by using a PoNS device to deliver mild electrical impulses to branches of the trigeminal and facial nerves via the tongue while the patient performs a set of rehabilitation exercises as instructed by a physical therapist.
Key findings of the study include:
- Five out of nine (56%) participants returned to work
- Four of those five (80%) returned to their prior occupations full-time for at least six months
- Six of the nine (67%) study participants experienced a clinically significant improvement in balance and gait
- Eight of nine (89%) said that balance and gait was no longer a barrier to return to work
- Three of six (50%) participants who indicated headaches were a barrier to work saw a reduction in the severity of their headaches
- PBC estimated that the five individuals who returned to work saved the provider approximately $1.6 million in long-term disability claims
“In my 31 years as a physiotherapist, I have never seen clinical results like this,” said Tanja Yardley, Vice President of Clinical Innovation at HTC. “One participant described PoNS Therapy as a ‘life changing experience.’ Not only did PoNS give these patients their lives back, but it also reduced the financial burden to the insurance provider and brought much-needed technology advancements to the patients who could benefit most.”
“These results demonstrate the significant impact PoNS Therapy can have on the lives of people suffering from TBI. All participants to the study were deemed unlikely to work again and, remarkably, more than half resumed their former occupations for an extended length of time,” said Dr. Antonella Favit-Van Pelt, Helius’ Chief Medical Officer. “In addition to significant improvements in balance and gait disability, PoNS Therapy helped with headache, cognitive, and mental health symptoms. We are pleased to have contributed to this impactful study with our innovative PoNS Therapy and proud of the role this treatment plays in improving the health of TBI patients.”
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.