Spaulding Researchers Exploring Home-Based Solutions for Stroke Motor Recovery

Recently, the first two participants recruited at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital finished all study activities in the national multi-center stroke recovery trial, EMAGINE. This randomized, double-blind study will test whether a non-invasive wearable device that produces and delivers a network targeted electromagnetic field therapy and improve motor recovery and reduce long-term disability following moderate to severe ischemic stroke.

The portal and device are designed to accompany participants throughout their recovery journeys, beginning in the acute hospital, and moving with them to the inpatient rehabilitation facility and then to home. The EMAGINE study allows participants to access the investigational therapy from their homes with the oversight of a trained caregiver, joined periodically through a remote platform by a member of the study team.

The technology utilizes machine learning to extract biological features found in brainwaves. These features are then used to target networks in the brain with a low-intensity frequency-tuned electromagnetic field therapy with the goal of facilitating neurorecovery in the subacute phase. The therapy is intended to be used adjunctively with the current standard of care in physical and occupational therapy.

“This study has the potential to introduce both a new device to help restore motor function after stroke, and a new homebased exercise regimen that will enable patients to receive intensive restorative therapy at home” said Dr. Randie Black-Schaffer, Principal Investigator at Spaulding.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability in the US and around the world. Every year, 795,000 people will suffer from a stroke in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The EMAGINE Stroke Recovery Trial will enroll 150 randomized subjects nationwide 4-21 days following a stroke. Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital is one of up to 20 research and medical institutions across the US expected to participate in the EMAGINE trial. Trial participants will undergo 45 sessions over a total of 9 weeks, 5 times a week. Each session will last for 60 minutes.

The study is funded by BrainQ Technologies, the company that developed the investigational device. Eligible participants will be identified through Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and recruitment is now open. For more information, visit the EMAGINE website.

About Spaulding Rehabilitation

A member of the Mass General Brigham Health System, Spaulding Rehabilitation includes Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, with a main campus in Charlestown the 3rd ranked rehabilitation hospital in the country by U.S. News & World Report, along with Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod, Spaulding Hospital Cambridge, Spaulding Nursing and Therapy Center Brighton, and over 25 outpatient sites throughout Eastern Massachusetts. An acclaimed teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and home to the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding is recognized as a top residency program in the U.S. in the Doximity Residency Navigator. Spaulding also was recognized by the 2022 Disability Equality Index as a “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.” For more information, visit www.spauldingrehab.org.