Methodology & Strategies
GyroStim's data-driven methodology, strategies, and capabilities are based on the regenerative forces of neuroplasticity - the brain's amazing life-long ability to rewire, reconstruct, and recover.
GyroStim, neuroplasticity, and brain health
Neuroplasticity is:
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the ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure, functions, or connections. Clinically, it is the process of rehabilitation after injury such as a concussion, mTBI, stroke, or other neurological condition.
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the regenerative force underlying many new and improved rehabilitation strategies for treatment of head injury, stroke, and other neurological conditions.
GyroStim is:
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a breakthrough medical device that is uniquely capable of activating the regenerative forces of neuroplasticity through repetitious motion-induced challenge and stimulation of the human sensorimotor system.
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PERCEIVE: Detailed information about what is happening in the world around you is sensed through the eyes (vision), ears (hearing), vestibular system (balance), and other parts of the sensory nervous system and is transmitted to the brain.
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PROCESS: The perceived sensory information is fired throughout the brain, igniting a cascade of cognitive processes which form an appropriate and instantaneous response to the perceived sensory information.
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REACT: Once the sensory information has been perceived and processed, the brain reacts with thoughts, verbal responses, and voluntary (or involuntary) motor commands.
Concussion, TBI, advanced age, illness, and other neurological conditions often cause vestibular dysfunction which disrupts the functional performance of the sensorimotor system. When this happens, interacting with the world becomes fraught with debilitating symptoms such as dizziness and motion sensitivity, headache, nausea, brain fog, depression, sleep disorders, sensitivity to light and sound, and many other symptoms that may be easily triggered, come and go, or persist indefinitely.
GyroStim and the sensorimotor system
According to NASA, "The sensorimotor system is a network that includes the sensory organs (eyes, ears, skin), parts of the nervous system, and the body's motor controls. It governs the human body's ability to perceive and respond to the external environment, as well as its ability to move and other functional activities."
The human sensorimotor system provides us with the functional ability to perceive, process, and react to the world around us. These functional abilities are interdependent, and any dysfunction caused by injury or illness can have devastating consequences on the entire system resulting in a wide range of symptoms and a reduced quality of life.
Why is GyroStim effective?
GyroStim is uniquely capable of methods and strategies that target and improve the functional performance of the human sensorimotor system. It provides repetitious motion-induced stimulation to multiple functional processes throughout the sensorimotor system, promoting neuroplasticity, and helping the brain heal itself.
GyroStim offers the technological advantage of data-driven therapy. The device is uniquely capable of administering a wide range of precisely controlled levels, or doses, of motion-induced stimulation for promoting neuroplasticity.
Additionally, GyroStim hardware and software monitor and display real-time quantitative and qualitative patient response data to each therapy run. The GyroStim clinician uses this objective and subjective data to make informed decisions for selecting the appropriate dose of stimulation to be administered in the next GyroStim run. The result is therapy sessions that are individualized and optimized for rehabilitation efficiency while protecting the patient from over stimulation.
GyroStim's Run-to-Run Progression Strategy, presented below, describes how the data-driven therapy promotes neuroplasticity. As new gains occur, a higher dose can be selected and administered to apply increased stimulation and challenge to the sensorimotor system, driving new functional gains, promoting neuroplasticity and advancing the rehabilitation process. Essentially, GyroStim's data-driven treatment expedites the brain's ability to heal itself.
Data-driven Methodology
Run-to-Run Progression Strategy
UltraThera Technologies, the maker of GyroStim, collaborated with research scientists at the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) and US Army researchers at Ft. Carson, Colorado, in the development of a run-to-run progression strategy for clinical applications using GyroStim to improve the functional performance of the sensorimotor system.
The collaboration resulted in a data-driven methodology that can be expressed in a flow chart. The flow chart describes the strategic run-to-run progression strategy that utilizes subjective data and objective data for clinical decision support (CDS).
This data-driven approach results in therapy sessions that are optimized for efficiency and efficacy, while protecting the patient from overstimulation.
Examples of rehabilitation and performance strategies
Physical / Situational
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Passive: rotate while staring at a fixed point inside the rotating chair
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Rotation while actively pursuing targets, with the option to engage in cognitive activities
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Eye-patch on dominant or non-dominant eye
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Subject wears sports gear (i.e. football helmet, hockey helmet) during session
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Crowd/stadium noise or other appropriate background recordings are played loudly to add distraction and force concentration during the run
To exercise sensorimotor challenges specific to the individual.
Visuomotor
Various ways to engage and challenge
hand-eye coordination and sensorimotor
stimulation throughout the human body.
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Laser in the dominant or non-dominant hand
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One laser in each hand, alternate left / right hand in sequence
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One laser in each hand, alternate left / right per clinician's verbal commands
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Laser mounted on head with headgear, or on other parts of the body as needed
Cognitive
Additional cognitive challenges
during GyroStim training to improve
multi-tasking and brain processing
capability. While rotating and hitting targets:
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Counting up or down in sequence
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Simple or complex math equations
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Familiar list recitation
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Short or long-term recall challenges
Perceptual
Laser-detecting targets offer
strategies for reinforcing
visuomotor, spatial awareness,
and discernment.
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Targets placed at same or varying heights
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Targets placed at same or varying distance.
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Targets identified by colors, numbers, letters or shapes.
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Custom targets: relevant to subject such as aircraft instrument panel