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of press releases Contact: Rob Doll Karen Zipern Michele Saltzberg/Chris Stamm NovaVision, Inc. Columbia University Medical Center NovaVision, Inc./Schwartz Communications 561-558-2013 212-305-9746 781-684-0770 rdoll@novavisiontherapy.com kz2110@columbia.edu
novavision@schwartz-pr.com COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER FIRST IN NORTH
EAST TO OFFER THERAPY TO REDUCE VISION LOSS CAUSED BY STROKE & TBI NovaVision VRT™ Now Available to Improve Quality of Life for Patients withVisual Deficits Once Considered Untreatable
NEW YORK, NEW YORK—December 8, 2004—NovaVision, Inc.
announced today that Columbia University Medical Center is the first
institution in the northeast to offer patients a new computerized therapy
that can reduce vision loss resulting from stroke or Traumatic Brain Injury
(TBI). The treatment, NovaVision
VRT™ (Vision Restoration Therapy), was developed by NovaVision, Inc. and
cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2003. “The Neurological Institute of New York is pleased to be
the first institution in the north east to offer VRT as a treatment option
addressing a virtually unmet need for people who have suffered vision loss
because of stroke or brain trauma,” said Dr. Randolph Marshall, associate
professor of clinical neurology at Columbia University College of Physicians
and Surgeons, associate attending at New York Presbyterian Hospital, and
co-director of the Levine Cerebral Localization Laboratory. “This therapy
program fits well with our clinical and research efforts to develop better
delivery of care to patients with brain injury. I am thrilled that the
Neurological Institute, one of the leading academic departments of neurology
in the United States, has the opportunity to expand the clinical experience
with VRT which, for the first time, offers appropriate patients a viable
source of hope for improved vision and a better quality of life.” The need for a rehabilitative therapy like VRT is
substantial. An estimated 4.8 million people have survived a stroke (American
Heart Association, 2004 Update), and at least 5.3 million Americans currently
live with disabilities resulting from TBI (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, May 2004). Approximately 1.5 million stroke and TBI victims in
the United States suffer from major visual field deficits, and that number
grows by more than 90,000 new patients each year. To date, more than 700
patients have been treated with VRT. Clinical results of VRT are positive:
more than 65 percent of patients who underwent VRT for an initial six-month
treatment period showed measurable improvements in their vision. 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. Following a clinical assessment and diagnosis at the
Columbia University Medical Center, VRT is conducted in the comfort of the
patient’s home with the use of a computerized 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 each stimulus
while focusing on the fixation point displayed. Repeated exposure to these
stimuli over an initial treatment period of approximately six months
activates neurons and helps improve vision, with some patients showing
improvements within a couple months of beginning therapy. Developing the Fourth Pillar of Rehabilitation
While speech, physical and occupational therapy are the
long-standing, mainstream treatment regimens for victims of stroke and brain
trauma, VRT is the first clinical application of rehabilitation for vision
loss. Like these traditional pillars of rehabilitation, VRT enables stroke
and TBI patients to restore an area of function that can dramatically improve
their quality of life. “NovaVision is committed to expanding VRT’s availability
to patients across the United States through collaboration with leading
medical institutions nationwide,” said Navroze Mehta, president and chief
executive officer of NovaVision, Inc. “With its rich tradition of embracing
medical breakthroughs, Columbia University Medical Center is an ideal partner
to bring VRT to New York for the first time.” About NovaVision, Inc. NovaVision, Inc. develops and distributes NovaVision VRT™
(Vision Restoration Therapy) the first and only FDA cleared, computer-based
therapy to improve visual deficits caused by stroke or traumatic brain injury
(TBI). NovaVision, Inc. is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida with European
offices that include clinics and research and development in Magdeburg,
Germany. VRT is based on 15 years of research with clinical studies published
in leading journals including Nature Medicine and the Journal of Cognitive
Neuroscience. To date, more than 65 percent of patients who underwent VRT for
six months demonstrated measurable vision improvements. VRT is currently
offered at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Emory Eye Center and the
University of Miami Department of Neurology. For more information about
NovaVision VRT please visit www.novavisiontherapy.com or call 888-205-0800. About Columbia University Medical Center Located in New York City Columbia University Medical
Center providers international leadership in basic and clinical research,
medical education, and healthcare. The medical center includes the dedicated
work of many physicians, scientists and other health professionals at the
College of Physicians and Surgeons, The School of Dental and Oral Surgery, The
Mailman School of Public Health, The Biomedical Departments of the Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions.
The pioneering tradition of Columbia University health scientists, who have
achieved some of 20th Century’s most significant medical breakthroughs,
continues today. For more information please visit
www.healthsciences.columbia.edu. # # # |
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