Calling stroke survivors! Researchers are recruiting now for a large-scale clinical trial with the acronym TRICEPS, run in 19 centres around the country: Sunderland, Leeds, Bradford, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Doncaster, Leicester, Birmingham, Norwich, London, South Petherton, Sherbourne, Bournemouth, Bodmin & Cardiff.
The trial is looking at how a specialised device can help strengthen hand and arm function, using a small earpiece to stimulate the vagus nerve. Called transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (TVNS), it forms part of rehabilitation therapy, and involves sending mild electrical pulses to the brain. Patients will be asked to wear it while they move their weak arm. The stimulation is automatically activated as the arm is moved during therapy and the connected earpiece gently tickles the ear. This can be done at home and does not involve invasive surgery.
✅- You STILL HAVE arm weakness as a result of a stroke that happened between 6 months and 10 years ago
✅- You DO HAVE SOME movement of your arm, wrist, and fingers
✅- The TYPE OF STROKE that you had was ISCHAEMIC
✅- You ARE AGED 18 years and over
✅- You ARE WILLING to wear a TVNS device (earpiece, wrist sensor and stimulator), whilst you do some home based self-delivered therapy for 1-hour, 5 times a week. This will be over a 12-week period.
✅- You ARE WILLING to attend at least 3 appointments during the 6 months of taking part in the trial.
Involving yourself in this study may be of benefit to some survivors who may not be receiving any other therapy for their arm weakness. https://youtu.be/EA_XrKvM8KQ
3 Comments
My husband had a left sided stroke in Feb 2025 he cannot use a mobile phone so this is my number
He is 82 and prior to his stroke played golf 3/4 each week
Thank you Heather: I’ll send your info over (Tom)
My husband had a stroke in Feb 2025 and has all the symptoms you state he cannot use a mobile phone so this is my number
Thank you