Montefiore Einstein is one of a few health systems in the nation to offer cervical, implantable vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with neurorehabilitation for post-stroke motor recovery. Led by Neil Haranhalli, MD, from Montefiore Einstein Department of Neurosurgery, and Andrew Abdou, DO, and Andrea Sullivan, OT/L, from our Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, this new program is a multidisciplinary collaboration from our team of vascular neurosurgeons, vascular neurologists, physiatrists, and physical and occupational therapists. We have begun recruiting candidates for this innovative, low-risk and potentially life-changing treatment plan. 

Upper extremity impairments are common in stroke survivors and can negatively impact their quality of life and functional independence. Despite numerous advancements in the prevention and management of acute stroke, there remain limited treatment options for effective recovery in chronic stroke survivors. Recent innovations and randomized controlled trials have led to the discovery that pairing VNS with a 6-week, intensive rehabilitation program can reduce upper extremity motor deficits and meaningfully improve arm and hand function in patients previously disabled by ischemic stroke. This effect is sometimes possible even years after their stroke.  

Neuromodulation with implantable VNS has been used for the treatment of drug resistant epilepsy and treatment resistant depression. VNS paired with neurorehabilitation can potentially enhance targeted neuroplasticity and improve function in patients with moderate-to-severe upper extremity impairment after stroke. The implantation of the VNS device is generally an ambulatory procedure performed by our team of internationally recognized neurosurgeons and otolaryngologists.

Montefiore Einstein is among the elite three percent of hospitals in the nation to have earned the prestigious Comprehensive Stroke Center Designation from the Joint Commission and is at the forefront of acute and chronic stroke care. Distinguished as an NIH StrokeNet Regional Coordinating Center since the inception of the NIH StrokeNet more than ten years ago, we are among an elite group of only 27 centers in the nation to be awarded with a 5-year grant funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)/NIH, spearheading and participating in numerous clinical trials to advance promising interventions for stroke prevention, treatment, recovery and rehabilitation for patients with or at risk of a stroke, across all stages of life.