New therapy offered for balance disorders

SURREY, BC – Heuro Canada, a provider of neurological health solutions, is launching a non-invasive treatment program at its newly opened Neurotherapy Montreal, Canada’s first clinic to feature the highly anticipated PoNS neurotechnology from U.S.-based Helius Medical Technologies.

They have plans to open their second location, the Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic in Surrey, B.C., in early 2019 with others to follow in major urban areas across Canada.

Helius Medical Technologies’ Health Canada-approved PoNS (Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator) neurotechnology can provide therapy to clients experiencing persistent balance deficits, from past mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries, when combined with physical or cognitive therapy.

The PoNS device is the first non-invasive means for delivering neurostimulation through the tongue, and is designed to amplify the brain’s powerful ability to heal itself.

Rudi van den Broek, Managing Director of Heuro Canada, says the technology can help many Canadians manage balance disorder in a non-invasive way.

“The PoNS technology offers a transformative treatment experience for balance symptoms from previous mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries,” he says. “By combining physical or cognitive therapy with innovative neuro-technologies, successful treatment is possible and can help Canadians maximize their potential and overall wellness.”

Nicole Strachan, clinical lead for Heuro Canada, says the new comprehensive treatment plan, which spans 16 weeks, focuses on each client’s personal rehabilitation.

“Although it is a set program, each therapeutic plan is highly individualized to the needs of the client,” she says, “making it possible for Canadians to manage their neurological symptoms and improve their overall quality of life.”

Heuro Canada is continuing to deploy the Heuro Program in licensed clinics across Canada, as part of its broader goal to offer innovative treatment programming that helps Canadians restore their livelihood and overcome persistent deficiencies, such as gait and balance, from past brain injuries.

This novel way to apply the concept of neuroplasticity to rehabilitation is the brainchild of scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Tactile Communication and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory (TCNL).

The PoNS device is based on almost 40 years of research in the field of neuromodulation – the use of external stimulation to intentionally change and regulate the electrochemical environment of the brain.

It is believed that neuromodulation enhances neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to restructure or relearn in response to new experiences, sensory input, and functional demands. Research has shown that the process of neuroplasticity underlies all cerebral learning, training and rehabilitation.

In clinical studies, the PoNS device coupled with targeted functional therapy (together PoNS Treatment) induces neuroplasticity. Therapy consists of targeted physical, occupational and cognitive exercises, based on the patient’s deficits.

Research shows that electrical stimulation of the tongue (translingual neurostimulation – TLNS) stimulates two major cranial nerves: the trigeminal (the nerve responsible for sensations in the face, biting and chewing) and the facial (the nerve responsible for motor control of most of the muscles of facial expression).

The electrical stimulation of the cranial nerves creates a flow of neural impulses that are then delivered directly into the brain stem – the main control centre for many life functions, including sensory perception and movement.

From the brain stem, these impulses travel throughout the brain and activate or reactivate neurons and structures involved in human function – the cortex, spinal cord and potentially the entire central nervous system.

Researchers believe that this sustained stimulation initiates a sequential cascade of changes in the actual interconnected nuclei, or the neuronal network, that are at the core of major anatomical components of the brain.

Based on this theory, it is believed that neuromodulation induced by the PoNS device, combined with functional therapy, may be applied to improve a large variety of neurological symptoms.

About Heuro Canada Inc.
Heuro Canada Inc. is a leading provider of innovative and transformative neurological health assessment and treatment technologies and solutions. With few viable therapeutic options currently available for managing and treating the neurological symptoms associated with traumatic brain injuries, Heuro is championing a new treatment paradigm that helps individuals experiencing persistent deficits, particularly with gait and balance, to restore their livelihood and overcome past moderate traumatic brain injuries. Heuro Canada’s Neurotherapy Montreal clinic is the country’s first clinic to offer the Helius Medical Technology PoNS therapy, with a second location opening in 2019 – the Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic in Surrey, B.C.

About the Heuro PoNS Treatment Program
The Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS) by U.S.-based Helius Medical Technologies, is a Class II Medical Device cleared for commercial distribution in Canada and an investigational, non-invasive, medical device currently under review by the United States Food and Drug Administration for clearance to improve balance in patients following a mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury (mTBI) when combined with targeted physical therapy. PoNS Treatment is the first and only tongue-delivered neuromodulation treatment being developed to combine stimulation of cranial nerves with physical and cognitive therapy to restore lost neurological function.