In recent years, the BART Foundation added Portable Translingual Neurostimulation (PTN) technology to our roster of safe alternative therapies, which we believe may help brain injury survivors achieve better outcomes. At present, the only such device commercially available in the USA and Canada is the PoNS device (Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator). You can read more about this technology on our PoNS therapies page.
Unfortunately, this device is currently only available through major university hospitals, though sometimes patients are permitted to take it home for a period of time. While the device’s price has been reduced from $39K to $14K, that’s still too expensive for most survivors and families.
Clinical trials for PTN are rare, and they are not always for the PoNS device. One area clinical trials are exploring for this technology is subcutaneous implants in the neck near the vagus nerve. Wayne State University in Indiana is currently investigating this intervention for PTSD treatment, but their study is not yet in the recruiting phase.
ClinicalTrials.gov has a current list of worldwide clinical trials. The link we have included takes you directly to results for traumatic brain injury. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or if you have information about trials that are not listed on the NIH website.
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