Helmet can diagnose strokes in 10 minutes
Anew hi-tech helmet could be a lifesaver for stroke patients as it dramatically cuts diagnosis time to just ten minutes, so treatment to reduce brain damage can begin much earlier.
The device is now being tested in two clinical trials involving more than 500 people at sahlgrenska University Hospital in sweden and, according to a report from the nHs national Institute for Health Research, there are plans for the helmet to be introduced to the nHs later this year.
They could be used in ambulances by paramedics and the appropriate drug treatment started before the patient arrives at hospital — without the need for time-consuming scans.
The helmet device, which uses microwave technology, can distinguish between the two types of stroke — those caused by a clot and those caused by a bleed. The difference is significant because the treatment varies.
stroke is the third most common cause of death in the Uk, and the leading cause of neurological disability as the reduction of blood supply and oxygen causes irreparable brain damage.
Roughly 85 per cent of strokes are caused by a clot that obstructs blood flow, known as ischaemic stroke: the remainder are haemorrhagic, caused by bleeds in the brain as a result of a weakened artery or vein bursting.
Around one in four people who has a stroke dies as a result, and those who survive are often left with long-term problems such as slurred speech or memory lapses.
During the initial stage of a stroke, approximately two million brain cells die every minute, so the faster the oxygen supply can be restored, the more of the brain can be saved.
For ischaemic stroke, the main treatment is thrombolytic or clot-busting drugs. These can clear the blockage, restoring oxygen and blood flow to the brain.
But for a haemorrhagic stroke, patients need treatment that allows the blood to clot. As a result, the type of stroke a patient is having needs to be determined very quickly.
Currently, this involves a CT or MRI scan in hospital, which can take hours and means a loss of precious time. The new device looks like a spaceage cycling helmet, cover
ing the upper part of the head, above the eyes. It was developed by Medfield Diagnostics, a spin-off from Chalmers University, sweden and emits microwaves that go through the brain tissue where they scatter.
The way signals break up is detected by a control unit which processes them and produces a graphic which illustrates visually whether the stroke is caused by a clot or a bleed.
According to an nHs national Institute for Health Research report, the developer says the helmet could be in use in the nHs this year.
Dr Richard Perry, a consultant neurologist at University College Hospital, london, said: ‘The early results are encouraging, but were based on small numbers so we would need to collect more data before the device could be used to guide clinical decision.’
Although it may be used in the nHs this year, its use would not be routine, he adds.
MeAnwHIle rehabilitation exercises after a stroke may work better if they’re done using a special mirror.
Up to 75 per cent of people who have a stroke experience movement problems in the arm on the side corresponding to the part of the brain that’s affected.
The idea behind mirror therapy is that the patient watches their stronger arm and its refelection doing the exercise.
This tricks the brain into believing there are two working limbs, and helps reactivate some movement in the damaged arm.
now a trial at Taipei Medical University Hospital in Taiwan is testing the approach with 60 stroke patients. some will also wear an electronic glove to provide random electrical stimulation to also boost nerves and trigger movement.