Every year, numerous new advances in medical science are announced, often with much fanfare. However, the actual, on-the-ground clinical practice often doesn't move at the same rapid pace. This is because doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other medical practitioners tend to stick to what they have been trained on. They prefer these 'tried and tested' previous modes of treatment, and they are often hesitant to deviate from established norms.
This is exemplified by the story of an Austrian doctor named Christian Kunz, who developed a vaccine for the virus that causes tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), a potentially fatal disease. It took almost 20 years since the vaccine was approved by authorities before it became accepted as standard care. In the meantime, Kunz traveled around Austria, providing the vaccine to farmers and forest workers and helping prevent infections and fatalities.
Today, many practitioners are quite hesitant to use electroencephalogram (EEG) scans and its associated brain-computer interface (BCI) technology due to their novelty. Dr. Christoph Guger, BCI technology pioneer and Co-Founder and CEO of g.tec medical engineering GmbH, says that EEGs were difficult to use in the past, and a neurologist was needed to read and interpret the results. However, advances in AI and machine learning have removed the need to have a neurologist present at all times, making EEG and BCI easier to incorporate into medical treatments.
One of the leading applications of EEG and BCI is the recoveriX treatment, developed by g.tec medical engineering. recoveriX has been shown to help stroke and multiple sclerosis patients in their recovery. The treatment, now available in more than a dozen countries worldwide, involves the patient wearing an EEG headset that reads their brainwaves while sitting in front of a computer unit. The monitor serves as a guide for the patient to copy movements from, while the electrodes connected to their limbs provide electrical stimulation to muscles, causing dorsiflexion of the joints.
Data from g.tec showed that patients who have received repeated recoveriX treatments performed better at the nine-hole peg test, which measures fine manual dexterity and helps track improvements in the condition of a stroke or MS patient. These patients also displayed better concentration, physical performance, cognition, memory, fatigue, and bladder control—metrics that denote a better quality of life.
While these are promising results, Guger says there are several barriers to the mainstream adoption of recoveriX. For instance, many clinics and rehabilitation centers already have a full menu of services, making it difficult to incorporate recoveriX into their operations.
Patients are now more knowledgeable and seek to have more control over their health and recovery due to the internet and social media. To spread more information about recoveriX, g.tec has released videos of patients before and after receiving treatment, showing significant improvements in their condition.
According to Guger, patients who want to use recoveriX should talk to their therapist or rehabilitation center and request that they carry recoveriX, letting them know that there is existing demand for this innovative treatment. He adds that recoveriX does not require a large amount of space, training, and manpower to use. Up to four patients can undergo recoveriX treatment in a room, with a single therapist overseeing things. The training period for therapists to use recoveriX only takes several days, meaning it can be quickly rolled out.
At present, not all national health insurance systems cover recoveriX. Despite this, Guger says that many patients are willing to pay for it out of pocket because they're convinced that it's effective, with several patients flying to Austria from other countries to receive recoveriX treatment. Despite universal healthcare in Europe, Guger says many patients are paying out of pocket for medications and treatments that are not yet covered by the system because health authorities can be slow in keeping up with the latest developments.
"BCI technology is a promising technology that helps improve the condition of people with neurologic conditions, such as stroke and MS," Guger says. "Technology and innovation are moving at such a rapid pace, but clinicians and insurance providers are sometimes unable to keep up. The patients of today are now more empowered to learn about their medical conditions, and they can ask their providers if they can carry treatments such as recoveriX, which has been proven to be safe and effective."
As part of g.tec's mission to promote BCI technology, it hosted a 10-day brain-computer interface and neurotechnology spring school from April 22 to May 1, 2024. The spring school provided a total of 140 hours of education on BCI and neurotechnology, with one day dedicated to providing information about recoveriX, how it has been used in clinical routines, and how patients responded to the treatment.
