MonitoRing the Effect of TRAnscutaneous neuro-electrical muscular stImulation of the common peroneal Nerve using the geko device on cerebral haemodynamics in patients with ischaemic strokes: RETRAIN

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Stroke is the third biggest killer in the UK every year. Over 113,000 people suffer a stroke every year, of these, 32,000 will die within a year.Each year strokes cost the country over £24 billion. This is made up of £3½ billion of NHS costs, £5 billion of Social Services costs and £16 billion in costs of informal carers such as family and friends.These costs are set to double over the next 15 years.This project intends to demonstrate the ability of an innovative device (the geko device) to improve recovery from stroke by increasing blood flow to the brain while preventing DVT in stroke patients.Research has shown the geko device prevents deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and it has been authorised for use in the NHS to prevent DVTs happening.This will save the NHS costs of about £17 million every year and improve the quality of life of stroke survivors.The company currently sells the geko device around the world. It is a small battery-powered device that sticks to the back of the knee where it sends very small electrical signals to a nerve. This, then, causes the muscles in the calf to contract causing blood to move around the body.However, some recent research - using the geko device on healthy volunteers - has shown that, as well as increasing blood flow in the leg, the device also increases blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain.Increasing these two things in stroke patients could be an extremely important tool in improving their chances of recovery and how well they recover.To find out how well the geko device performs in doing this, we want to repeat this work in serious stroke patients.Firstly, we need to find the geko device settings that make blood flow best in the brain.Secondly, we need to test the device against existing ways that patients are cared for to see if the geko device is an improvement.To do this we have formed a partnership between the company that invented the geko device: Firstkind; and one of the best hospitals in the country for treating serious stroke patients; The Countess of Chester.Once the device is proven safe and effective, it will be sold to healthcare organisations around the world. To do this, the project is developing a partnership with one of the world's biggest stroke-equipment companies.