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First in Asia, Vision Restoration Therapy Gives New Hope to Stroke and Brain Injury Patients at Tan Tock Seng Hospital

Posted on: Monday, 3 October 2005, 09:00 CDT

Therapy Aims to 'Activate' Neurons in the Brain to Increase the Visual Field

NovaVision, Inc. today announced Singapore's Tan Tok Seng Hospital (TTSH) is the first medical institution to offer NovaVision VRT(TM) Vision Restoration Therapy(TM) (VRT), a promising therapy offering hope to patients left partially blind by a stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI). VRT is a non-invasive medical device that is now available at TTSH to treat patients with visual field defects from postchiasmal brain disorders such as strokes, brain tumors and post surgery neurosurgical patients.

VRT is based on the principle of neuroplasticity--the ability of partially damaged neurons in the brain to compensate for injury and adjust their activity in response to stimulation from the environment. After stroke or TBI, a zone of residual vision exists between regions within the brain's vision-processing areas. Within this zone, there are areas that can be improved using precise patterns of stimulation.

Researchers have discovered that 65% of patients who completed VRT found it beneficial when their visual fields expanded sufficiently to improve their quality of life.

Dr. Goh Kong Yong, Senior Consultant Neuro-opthalmologist, Department of Ophthalmology, TTSH said, "The generally accepted notion that nothing can be done leaves little hope for such patients. Visual restoration was once considered impossible. Such patients commonly experience many limitations in their daily activities as well as in their journey to rehabilitation. VRT represents a significant paradigm shift and new hope for stroke patients."

"Neither the age of the patient nor the time of occurrence of the stroke is a factor. Whether the stroke occurred a month ago or a few years ago, the patient may still benefit significantly from this program," he added.

Following a clinical assessment and diagnosis at TTSH, VRT is conducted in the comfort of the patient's home with the use of a VRT medical device. The patient performs a customized therapy which displays stimuli on the screen in the area identified during diagnostic that shows potential for recovery. The patient responds to the stimulus while focusing on the fixation point displayed. Repeated exposure to these stimuli over an initial treatment period of approximately six to seven months may activate neurons and help improve vision, with some patients showing improvements within a few months of beginning therapy.

The medical device was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2003 and is currently available at TTSH and major eye institutes and rehabilitation centers in the United States and Germany.

"NovaVision welcomes the Eye Institute at Tan Tock Seng Hospital to the network of leading medical institutions around the world offering NovaVision VRT," said NovaVision President and CEO Navroze Mehta. "As a renowned vision center, the Eye Institute at Tan Tock Seng Hospital is an ideal partner to expand access to VRT throughout Singapore to help improve the quality of life for patients suffering vision impairment caused by stroke and TBI."

About the National Healthcare Group

"The National Healthcare Group (NHG) manages:

Four hospitals - Alexandra Hospital, National University Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Institute of Mental Health/Woodbridge Hospital;

The Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Centre; one National Centre - National Skin Centre;

The NHGP chain of nine polyclinics - Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang, Clementi, Hougang, Jurong, Toa Payoh, Woodlands, Yishun;

Three specialty institutes - The Cancer Institute, The Eye Institute and The Heart Institute; and

Five Business Divisions - NHG College, NHG Diagnostics, NHG Gulf, NHG Pharmacy and NetCare Internet Services.

Our vision is "Adding years of healthy life to the people of Singapore".

About NovaVision, Inc.

NovaVision VRT(TM) Vision Restoration Therapy(TM) (VRT) is based on groundbreaking research in neuroplasticity. VRT is an FDA-cleared, patented, non-invasive medical device that may restore vision in stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients with visual deficits. While speech, physical and occupational therapy are the long-standing, mainstream treatment regimens for stroke and TBI patients, VRT is the first FDA-cleared clinical application of rehabilitation for vision loss. NovaVision, Inc. develops and distributes VRT.

NovaVision, Inc. is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida with European offices that include clinics and research and development in Magdeburg and Berlin, Germany. VRT is based on 15 years of research with clinical studies published in leading journals including Nature Medicine, Neurology, and The Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. Data from a recent retrospective study identified that more than 65 percent of patients who underwent VRT for an initial six-month treatment period showed measurable improvements in their vision. VRT is currently offered at: Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA; Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at University of Miami, Miami, FL; Columbia University Medical Center's Neurological Institute of NY, New York, NY; Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miami, FL; Emory Healthcare Eye Center, Atlanta, GA; Kresge Eye Institute at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI; Richard H. Legge, M.D., Omaha, NE; the Rusk Institute, New York, NY; Washington County Health System, Hagerstown, MD; Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego, CA; Sharp Grossmont Hospital, La Mesa, CA; Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, Chula Vista, CA; and now the Eye Institute at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. For more information about NovaVision VRT please visit www.novavision.com, or call toll-free 888.205.0800 or direct/international 1.561.558.2000.

Source: Business Wire

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