New Option For Stroke Survivors With First-In-Tennessee Therapy

CHATTANOOGA, TN (May 8, 2026) – CommonSpirit – Memorial Hospital is the first health care facility in Tennessee to offer an FDA-approved therapy for stroke survivors who experience arm and hand weakness.

The therapy combines vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with physical rehabilitation. This medical device may improve upper limb function in people who have had an ischemic stroke. Studies show that patients treated with this therapeutic device and rehabilitation had two to three times greater improvement in arm and hand function compared to rehabilitation alone. These benefits lasted more than a year.

“We are excited to bring this therapy to Chattanooga and to stroke survivors across Tennessee,” said Janelle Reilly, Market President, CommonSpirit, Tennessee and Georgia. “It helps patients regain movement and independence, enhancing their quality of life.”

This therapy may improve the health of Tennesseans across the state. Patients from throughout Tennessee will receive the FDA-approved device at CommonSpirit – Memorial Hospital. The first patient recently had an outpatient procedure to implant the small device, which is similar in size to a car key fob. Ranjith Babu, MD, a neurosurgeon at CommonSpirit – Neuroscience Institute – Chattanooga, performed the procedure.

The stroke team at Memorial Hospital worked with Teresa Kimberley, PT, PhD, FAPTA, to launch this new therapy. Kimberley is the director of the Brain Recovery Lab and a lead scientist at the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “Many people still have serious physical limitations after a stroke, despite advances in emergency stroke treatment. This therapy has changed that. I am excited that people in the Tennessee Valley now have a new way to improve their quality of life through our work launching this technology at Memorial Hospital,” said Kimberley.

This therapy is a three-part process:

• Implantation – A small device is implanted during a short, outpatient procedure. This device sends gentle electrical pulses to the vagus nerve.

• Therapist-led rehabilitation – Two to three weeks after implantation, patients begin intensive rehabilitation with physical and occupational therapists. During these sessions, the therapist uses a wireless remote to activate the device while the patient performs tasks such as reaching, grasping or manipulating objects. The pulses from the vagus nerve send signals to brain regions that release neuromodulators, strengthening neural connections and enhancing the learning process.

• Self-activated therapy – Patients also continue their therapy at home. They use a magnet to activate the device while practicing daily tasks like folding laundry, preparing meals or getting dressed. This ongoing pairing of VNS with focused activities helps reinforce new neural pathways, leading to continued improvement.

Other vagus nerve stimulation devices have a long-standing safety record. They have been FDA-approved for conditions like treatment-resistant epilepsy and depression. This system specifically targets chronic stroke survivors who have not regained full hand and arm function six months or more after their stroke and have moderate to severe deficits. An estimated 200,000 stroke survivors in the U.S. could potentially benefit from this therapy each year.

Memorial Hospital’s Neuroscience Institute team is recognized as a center in the development of new technologies for neurologic diseases like stroke. With a commitment to providing advanced neurological care, Memorial Hospital helps ensure Tennesseans no longer need to travel out of state to receive medical care.

For more information about this FDA-approved therapy, or to ask about candidacy, please contact CommonSpirit – Neuroscience Institute – Brain and Spine Care at (423) 206-9480.

About CommonSpirit - Memorial Hospital 

CommonSpirit – Memorial Hospital is a not-for-profit, faith-based health care organization dedicated to the healing ministry of the Church. Founded by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, it offers a continuum of care including preventative, primary and acute hospital care. It also offers cancer, cardiac, neuroscience and stroke care, along with orthopedic and rehabilitation services. Memorial Hospital is a regional referral center with 4,700 employees and almost 500 affiliated physicians providing health care throughout Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. To learn more, visit memorial.org.

About MicroTransponder, Inc. 

MicroTransponder, Inc. is a privately held, global medical device company based in Austin, Texas. It is dedicated to developing research-based neuroscience solutions. The company focuses on restoring dignity for people suffering from neurological conditions that impair sensory and motor function. MicroTransponder’s FDA-approved Vivistim paired VNS system is a medical technology that helps improve upper limb function for stroke survivors after six weeks of in-clinic therapy. For more information, visit Vivistim.com.