AHN Comprehensive Vivistim® Clinic for Stroke

Stroke care and rehabilitation

The implanted Vivistim device works in a similar manner to a pacemaker. The state-of-the-art implantable pulse generator (IPG) is placed under the skin in the chest area, usually just underneath the collarbone. A thin wire is hidden under the skin and connected to the left vagus nerve in the neck. The device then sends mild electrical pulses to stimulate the vagus nerve while patients perform simple motor tasks. This stimulation enhances neuroplasticity — the brain's ability to form new neural connections — during stroke rehabilitation, allowing patients to relearn and rebuild motor function in their arms and hands to deliver personalized rehabilitation.

Along with a dedicated rehabilitation protocol, this creates new pathways for the brain to access through neuroplasticity, allowing the patient to relearn and rebuild functionality. Studies show that vagus nerve stimulation, along with traditional rehabilitation, can help certain stroke patients regain at least twice as much dexterity in their hand and arm function than rehab can provide alone.

Initial stroke rehab appointment

During a first appointment, patients are evaluated for this procedure by a comprehensive team including rehabilitation professions, neurosurgeons, physician assistants, and nurses to ensure that each patient is an appropriate candidate and has a plan to achieve the potential for positive outcomes. This first appointment is comprehensive and involves multiple specialist evaluations in order to streamline the process our patients, which can sometimes make the full evaluation last around two hours. This includes:

• A formal assessment by a rehabilitation professional such as a physical therapist or occupational therapist. This will assess the functional abilities of your upper extremities and determine eligibility criteria, help establish functional goals, and provide recommendations for other treatments that may help improve an individual’s outcomes
• An evaluation by our neurosurgical team, which specializes in vagus nerve stimulation for stroke. They will discuss the procedure and recovery process, as well as current expectations for outcomes.
• If patients qualify, we will provide a roadmap for treatment protocol to ensure the patient is set up to achieve the best outcomes with paired vagus nerve stimulation and rehabilitation therapy.

AHN Comprehensive Vivistim Clinic specialists

When you seek care from the specialists at the AHN Comprehensive Vivistim Clinic, you will be seen by experienced, compassionate, and dedicated healthcare professionals who work together to provide improved health outcomes for their patients. Our multidisciplinary approach means you can see specialists of different medical backgrounds who coordinate your care and treatment plans so you get the most out of your visits. 

Co-Directors

Vivistim Team Members

How to get care

If you want to be tested for or have been diagnosed with needing Vivitism therapy, we’re here to help.

Schedule your appointment today

To schedule an AHN Comprehensive Vivistim Clinic visit or to fax a referral for evaluation, please call Megan Boden at 412-359-4139 or fax 412-359-8993.

Clinical trials and research

Clinical trials and research are central to AHN’s continuing advancements in stroke care and treatment. We seek to offer our patients the latest clinical trials that are available. Your AHN care team can help determine if you are a candidate for a clinical trial.

What is a clinical trial?

Clinical trials are research studies that test new or improved treatments to see how well they work and how safe they are. Patients who participate in clinical trials play an important role in advancing medical knowledge and may benefit from access to cutting-edge therapies before they become widely available.

AHN's Comprehensive Vivistim® Clinic is actively involved in research to advance stroke recovery. We are enrolled in the GRASP trial, a multicenter study evaluating Vivistim outcomes, and we conduct our own ongoing research evaluating patient outcomes and the effectiveness of our comprehensive multidisciplinary approach. Through this research, we continue to gather evidence on how Vivistim combined with intensive rehabilitation delivers superior outcomes for stroke patients.

Who can join a clinical trial?

The plan for the trial, called a protocol, explains what the trial will do and how the study will be done. Based on the questions the research is trying to answer, each clinical trial protocol outlines specific criteria necessary to be eligible to join the trial.

Common criteria for entering a trial are:

• Having a certain condition.
• Having received a certain kind of therapy in the past.
• Being in a certain age group.
• Federal rules help ensure that clinical trials are run in an ethical manner, with your rights and safety protected. It’s to ensure that you’re not put at increased risk by participating in the trial, and that the results of the study are accurate and meaningful.

Currently active clinical trials

If you would like to participate in a clinical trial and help our innovative team discover groundbreaking health solutions, ask your doctor if you’re eligible to participate in one. Find currently active clinical trials that are open for participation.

Refer your patient to an AHN specialist

To schedule an AHN Comprehensive Vivistim Clinic visit or to fax a referral for evaluation, please call our Vivistim Program Coordinator Megan Boden directly at 412-359-4139 or fax 412-359-8993.

If you have any questions about independent physician referral, see our frequently asked questions and answers.