Triceps stroke trial features in the Daily Mail
7 January 2025
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Our groundbreaking Triceps trial, which is testing whether a device which delivers electrical pulses to damaged areas of the brain via a connected earpiece can improve hand and arm function in stroke survivors, has featured in the Daily Mail.
The Triceps trial, which is being led by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Sheffield, is investigating if a portable, pacemaker-like device could significantly improve life for the more than 36,500 people in the UK every year left with permanent arm weakness after a stroke.
Featured in today's Good Health supplement (Tuesday 7 January), patient Phil Herbert is among the 100+ patients to have joined the innovative nerve stimulation trial so far.
He told the Mail he was “noticing a difference already” and had "more movement..[to]...open and close kitchen cupboards".
By the end of the trial, Phil, who never regained movement in his right arm following a stroke three years ago, hoped to see improved function in his affected hand and arm:
"I still can’t use my fingers, so I can’t hold a pen or type with my right hand, but I’m hoping that by the end of the trial, I may be able to use my fingers more – that’s my goal."
Professor Arshad Majid (pictured), a consultant neurologist at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, and professor of neurology at the University of Sheffield, who is leading the trial, told the Mail:
“The main advantage is, that unlike the earlier trial, it’s a non-invasive treatment. The patient doesn’t need to come into hospital and can do the therapy in their own home. They are given exercises to do and we check in on them every two weeks by video call.”
The trial, which began in November 2023, is being funded by a Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research, partnership, with additional funding from the Stroke Association and the Association of British Neurologists and will involve around 240 patients. The trial is also being supported by the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre and will continue to recruit patients from 19 centres across England and Wales for another year.
It involves stimulating a key nerve called the vagus nerve, using a wearable device which connects to a wired earpiece. Leads from the device connect to a tiny earpiece that transmits the gentle current into the nerve in the ear. It’s thought the device improves the transmission of nerve signals from the brain to the arm, telling it when and how to move. Results from previous studies suggest stimulating the nerve at the same time as the patient tries to move the affected arm can restore electrical signals and, in turn, reduce arm weakness.
To find out more about joining the trial contact triceps@sheffield.ac.uk or visit the website at www.triceps-trial.com
To read the Mail feature, click here.
