Researchers: Tongue Stimulation May Restore Balance After TBI

Researchers are experimenting with a new therapy that may help thousands of TBI patients who face ongoing neurological issues.

The therapy involves stimulating the tongue, which can retrain the brain and offer relief to TBI patients.

Patients who suffer with permanent neurological symptoms following a head injury or disease would gain help with walking and balance issues with the new therapy.

Read More: Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney in Wisconsin

Award-winning American former talk show host Montel Williams is one of those people, according to an article on CTV News Montreal.

“Now a health advocate and media personality, Williams is mostly focused on staying healthy after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000,” the article reads. “MS is believed to be an autoimmune disease, which causes physical and cognitive problems.”

Williams’s MS began to progress in 2007, which is when he began his search for new treatments.

The study is being conducted at The University of Wisconsin and so far it has revealed that when a tongue stimulating device is used, the tongue has direct connections through the fifth and seventh cranial nerves to the brain stem, according to the article. And the brain stem has a diffuse effect over the whole brain. The connections are huge from the brain stem to the rest of the brain. So the simple rationale is to think that if you stimulate the tongue you’re going to end up stimulating the whole brain

The tongue stimulator is used during physiotherapy by people who have gait and balance problems.

Williams decided to create a company, called  Helius Medical Technologies, which works on non-invasive technologies to expand treatment options for brain-injury patients.

“Since the therapy also has potential for concussion patients, the former navy man was able to secure a $7-million investment from the U.S. military,” the article reads. “The next step is clinical trials. The company looked to the Montreal Neurological Institute.”

An independent pilot study was conducted, looking at 14 MS patients from Montreal in a double blind, controlled study. Over 14 weeks, the subjects used the Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS) device while engaging in 20 minutes of intense guided physiotherapy daily.
The device is also easy to use. The patient simply places a mouthpiece with 143 electrodes on the end of their tongue, while performing the physio exercise routine.