The tongue is an amazing organ.
Thousands of nerve fibers in it
help us eat, drink and swallow. Without them, we would not taste. The tongue
helps us speak. Quietly, its surface defends our bodies from germs.
Yet for everything the tongue can
do, perhaps one of its most exciting roles is to serve as a direct “gateway” to
the brain through thousands of nerve endings.
Now researchers at the U.S. Army
Medical Research and Materiel Command in collaboration with the University of
Wisconsin-Madison and NeuroHabilitation Corporation are leveraging the power of
those tiny nerves. They are aiming to restore lost physical and mental function
for service members and civilians who suffered traumatic brain injury or
stroke, or who have Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis.
The treatment involves sending
specially patterned nerve impulses to a patient’s brain through an
electrode-covered oral device called a “PoNS,” a battery-operated appliance
placed on the tongue. The 20-30 minute stimulation therapy, called cranial
nerve non-invasive neuromodulation, or CN-NiNM, is accompanied with a custom
set of physical, occupational, and cognitive exercises, based on the patient’s
deficits. The idea is to improve the brain’s organizational ability and allow
the patient to regain neural control.
NeuroHabilitation Corporation is
funding the commercial development of the device, and has more than just
financial investments in PoNS. The company was created with support by Montel
Williams, a celebrity and military veteran who was diagnosed with multiple
sclerosis in 1999.
Williams was originally
introduced to the research through an American Way magazine an attendant gave
to him while he was on an American Airlines flight. The magazine included an
article about work being done at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Shortly
after reading the article, Williams joined a study at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison’s Tactile Communication & Neurorehabilitation Lab, which
is in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
“The third day there I said we
need this in the mouths of our Soldiers,” recalled Williams, stating that he
has always kept his ties with the military after serving in the Marine Corps
and graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy.
The PoNS prototype and associated
therapeutic use were developed by University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists
Yuri Danilov, Ph.D., Mitchell Tyler, M.S., P.E., and Kurt Kaczmarek, Ph.D.
Their research is driven by the principle that brain function is not hardwired
or fixed, but can be reorganized in response to new experiences, sensory input
and functional demands. This area of research is called neuroplasticity and is
a promising and rapidly growing area of brain research.
Preliminary data from University
of Wisconsin showed CN-NiNM to have great potential for a wide variety of
neurological issues. Remarkably, the therapy doesn’t only slow functional loss,
but also has the potential to restore lost function. That’s why researchers are
saying that it “breaks the rules.”
“When we talk about a brain
changing itself, this is what we mean,” Danilov said.
Because of its possible
application for service members, especially those returning from combat with
blast-related traumatic brain injuries, the USAMRMC signed a Cooperative
Research and Development Agreement with NeuroHabilitation Corporation (founded
by Williams and his colleagues, including the University of Wisconsin
scientists), Feb. 8, that allows the Army to further evaluate the device.
“This exciting agreement
leverages a unique private-public partnership,” said Col. Dallas Hack, director
of the USAMRMC Combat Casualty Care Research Program. “By collaborating with
University of Wisconsin-Madison and NeuroHabilitation Corporation, we maximize
our resources to explore a potential real-world treatment for injured service
members and civilians with a variety of health conditions.”
Testing will include a
collaborative study with researchers and clinicians at the Blanchfield Army
Community Hospital in Fort Campbell, Ky., due to start this month as the result
of a yearlong coordination effort led by Capt. Ian Dews, deputy director of
CCCRP. The hospital is home to the Warrior Resiliency and Recovery Center,
which is dedicated to the treatment of Soldiers with physical and
neuropsychological problems due to service-related trauma.
Additional patient testing will
be conducted at other veteran facilities and civilian medical institutions.
Concurrently, the USAMRMC, in collaboration with its subcommands the U.S. Army
Medical Materiel Agency and the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development
Activity, will conduct environmental testing, such as temperature and humidity
limitations for the device, to better understand potential constraints. At the
conclusion, the USAMRMC hopes to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration
clearance for PoNS.
