New suit for treatment of pain
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | EXONEURAL NETWORK AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 1 363 914 |
| Project duration | August 2019 - August 2023 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Swelife and Medtech4Health - Collaborative Projects for Improved Health |
Important results from the project
Exopulse Mollii Suit is a full body suit with electrodes for electrical stimulation and is used to improve motor skills in people affected by neurological disorders. The purpose of the study has been to test whether the method can reduce hemiplegic shoulder pain in people living with stroke symptoms. The specific objectives were 1) to compare the effect of different stimulation modes for shoulder pain relief and 2) to investigate which patients respond best to these. The preliminary analysis shows promising results.
Expected long term effects
Recruitment has been slower than expected. Eighteen participants have been recruited, seven excluded due to medical, cognitive or personal reasons. The results from participants with a desired spread in age, gender, level of upper limb function, impaired hand function and nociceptive pain (n=9), show that general stimulation with the suit provides pain relief to those who also respond to conventional TENS stimulation. No other significant associations between level of pain-relieving treatment effects and function and activity parameters were found.
Approach and implementation
Each participant has been treated with three different methods: 1) transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) according to clinical practice, and 2) Exopulse Mollii Suit local shoulder stimulation and 3) Exopulse Mollii Suit general stimulation. Treatments are given for 60 minutes, in randomized order in a standardized clinical setting on 3 different occasions, one week apart. The results and the knowledge obtained will be published in a scientific journal once data has been collected from 15 participants according to the study plan.