Next Wave brain stimulation for neuro-ophthalmologic patients available at German University

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University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany, is now offering the use of the EBS Next Wave brain stimulation device designed to expand the visual field of patients with impaired vision caused by optic nerve damage, it was announced by EBS Technologies

“Electrical brain stimulation can help to reactivate residual capabilities of brain function,” says Christian Gerloff, director, Department of Neurology and professor of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. “We expect that Next Wave therapy will be offered to patients at neuro-ophthalmologic and neurorehabilitation clinics throughout Europe, and we are pleased that our institution is pioneering this effort.”

“It is well known that there is a tremendous unmet clinical need for the treatment of vision impairment caused by a variety of different neurological disorders, such as neuropathy of the optic nerve. Three out of five persons who are disabled from impaired vision as a result of optic nerve neuropathy, brain injury, or stroke are potentially treatable with our Next Wave therapy, which is why we are very excited about the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf’s pioneering role in applying Next Wave therapy to patients,” said Ulf Pommerening, CEO of EBS Technologies.

In June 2013, EBS announced the results of a multicentre, 82-patient clinical trial of the device. About a half of the clinical trial patients were given a 40-minute treatment protocol for 10 consecutive days with the Next Wave device. With an average increase of 24% of the total visual field, treated patients showed significantly better improvements in stimulation of their total visual field compared with patients in the control group who did not receive stimulation. All patients had vision impairment lasting at least six months prior to the clinical trial and had exhausted all standard therapeutic options to improve their vision.