The Multiple Sclerosis Department at Sheba Hospital will present for the first time during a week at Biomed Israel 2010, which will be held on June 14-16 in Tel Aviv, an innovative kit designed for training the sense of touch, which improves the brain activity of the patients.
The kit, based on rolls with different textures, is intended for different populations suffering from a decrease in sensation in the palms, among them, an aging healthy population showing a decrease in touch sensation that is age-dependent, patients with neuropathic diseases, in which a progressive decrease in sensation is caused due to peripheral nerve damage, patients with small vessel disease , or patients with malignant diseases under therapeutic treatment resulting in a similar injury, as well as for patients after a cerebral infarction, or multiple sclerosis patients, in which the sensory impairment is due to a central brain or spinal cord injury.
The use of the kit (which includes 24 rolls, a chain for threading the parts, a DVD case with an instructional film, and a fabric bag case) is simple: the practice is done with eyes closed while touching and identifying the texture and texture on a regular daily basis of 15 minutes.
The new assessment, which makes it possible to adjust the product according to difficulty levels in terms of texture to the user, was developed by the multiple sclerosis department at Sheba Hospital, and the project was partnered by Prof. Anat Achiron, neurologist and director of the center, Simona Gelb, occupational therapist, and Michal Greenberg Abrahami, industrial designer and product development . According to the development team, the innovation in the tool is in the fact that the training method is based on learning and plasticity of the brain. "Recent studies have proven that through training it is possible to increase synaptic connections and correspondingly lead to functional improvement. In a study we conducted in multiple sclerosis patients with sensory damage that caused difficulty in functioning, such as difficulty holding objects, putting on makeup, cutting a salad, taking coins out of a bag. We found after the sensation training a 12.5% improvement in the 2PDT sensation test and a 27% improvement in the MFT sensation test - and this after three weeks of home training."
According to the developers, the new, user-friendly therapeutic tool has a special significance in a young population (children and teenagers) with sensory impairments since it enables regular training independently. The kit, whose price for the consumer will be about NIS 350, will be launched during June 2010.
ILSI - Biomed Israel 2010
"ILSI - Biomed Israel 2010" week is the main annual event of the life sciences industry in Israel. This week includes an international professional conference with the participation of the best experts (CEOs and executives of companies in the field of biopharma and medical devices, scientists and researchers, entrepreneurs, researchers, public opinion shapers in the field, managers of venture capital funds and private investors) from Israel and the world, and an exhibition that presents the hottest innovations . "ILSI - Biomed Israel 2010", which received international recognition and is considered the second largest conference in the world - after the USA, will be held between June 14 and 16 at the David Intercontinental in Tel Aviv.
