Hi Fran
I am sorry to hear about your daughter’s stroke and ongoing issues with her balance and gait pattern.
Yes, you are correct, according to Helius medical technologies, PoNS® is authorized in Australia (AUS TGA) as a non-implantable neurostimulator, intended for short-term use by healthcare professionals as an adjunct to a therapeutic exercise program to improve balance and gait, in Multiple Sclerosis patients.
It is not yet commercially available.
PoNS® is administered by allied health professionals who have undergone specific training.
Helius is investigating PoNS use for treating gait and balance deficits after stroke. An upcoming clinical trial in Canada will evaluate the effects of PoNS on gait recovery and stability specifically after a stroke.
We recommend you email Helius direct to keep you informed of the progress of this device and any future trials that may be taking place in Australia specifically for stroke that may be of interest to you.
You can email them here-
If you are interested in any other research or clinical trials, please have a look at Get involved in research | Stroke Foundation - Australia and consider registering for Australian New Zealand Clinical trials registry ANZCTR.
I hope some of this information helps.
Please let us know if we can help you with any other queries.
Regards
Alicia - StrokeLine
Hi Fran,
Did you have any success in finding someone in Australia who offers the PoNS device? My daughter has a brain injury and I've read about the success of this device overseas.
Regards
Janet
Hello Janet,
Thanks for reaching out. We have been in contact with the Department of Medicine at Royal Melbourne Hospital who in conjunction with the University of Melbourne have published a report from the results of a pilot study of the PoNS in subacute stroke survivors, which is the only study in Australia using the PoNS device. Although the results were positive, this trial is not definitive, and more research is needed in this area.
Royal Melbourne Hospital is keen to undertake more research using the PoNS in stroke survivors, but as yet have not been able to follow up their initial study, The PoNS is an expensive device, and can only be used by a single user. We would suggest that all enquiries should be directed to Helius Medical Technologies (https://heliusmedical.com/).
In future we are hoping to hear more from anyone in the EnableMe community who come across any services that are using, or considering using the PoNS device.
Do feel free to reach out to us here at StrokeLine. You can call StrokeLine on Ph 1800 787 653, or send us an email at strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au. We are available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm AEST.
Kind regards
Siobhan (StrokeLine)