Cheryl Smithgall, a 54-year-old resident of Frankfort, began post-implant occupational therapy using Vivistim Paired Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) Therapy at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, according to an April 17 announcement.
Smithgall suffered a stroke nearly eight years ago while walking her dog. Despite ongoing therapies since then, she experienced limited improvement in her right arm until learning about Vivistim Therapy. The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab has offered this form of outpatient occupational therapy for the past two years.
Vivistim Therapy uses an implantable device that delivers gentle pulses to the vagus nerve while patients perform specific tasks during rehabilitation exercises. This method is designed to help strengthen and create new neural pathways in the brain, improving upper limb function after a stroke. The United States Food and Drug Administration approved Vivistim for use with occupational therapy in August 2021 as a treatment option for stroke survivors with hand and arm impairments.
After qualifying through pre-evaluation, Smithgall underwent implantation of the device in December and started her first post-implant session about a month later. Deborah Jacob-Maas, an occupational therapist who worked with Smithgall over 18 sessions, said: “Cheryl didn’t have much function of her right arm and hand.” Jacob-Maas added that she had to help Smithgall unlearn dependence on her left arm and relearn how to use her affected side during daily activities.
Each session involved activating the Vivistim device every few seconds while Smithgall attempted tasks such as unscrewing a cap from lip balm. “Cheryl is such a great patient. She has such wonderful focus when we’re doing the exercises… She even brought in a video from home to show me!” Jacob-Maas said.
Smithgall reported weekly improvements following these intensive sessions: “I have improved with picking up objects with my affected arm and moving them from one place to another.” While progress can be slow for some patients, Jacob-Maas noted that Smithgall remained realistic and persistent throughout therapy: “But Cheryl does not give up. She’s very flexible and is up for any challenges we’ve had for her.”
Smithgall praised Jacob-Maas’s approach as well: “Debbie is always upbeat and has a lot of great ideas that I use daily… She is an amazing therapist.”
Looking ahead, Smithgall plans to continue self-activated daily exercises using the Vivistim magnet at home along with ongoing care from Dr. Ross Coolidge at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab at Silver Cross Hospital. “I’m still hopeful that there will be improvement over time,” she said.
