The Vagus Nerve and Stroke

Earn 1 hour of continuing education by joining OT Potential after taking this course.

Course Description

It feels like in every practice area, the importance of the vagus nerve is being talked about.

But nowhere is it being researched as much as vagal nerve stimulation post-stroke. And the initial results are promising — as long as it is paired with rehabilitation. The stimulation sets the body up for new motor learning, but then the rehab actually creates the change.

In this beginner’s course, I’m excited to talk to Sarah Blair, OTR/L  from Vivistim about what she has learned about this relatively new intervention and what generalist OTs need to know about this option.

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OT Potential courses are presented as live webinars, then released on-demand video and audio via the OT Potential Podcast. Attendance in the live webinar will be indicated on your certificate. Learn more about how our courses help meet live webinar requirements, and OT CEU requirements overall.

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Learning Objectives

1. You will identify the components of rehabilitation interventions paired with vagus nerve stimulation to show significant improvement.
2. You will recognize how functional improvements are assessed for vagus nerve stimulation and rehabilitation.

Agenda

Intro (5 minutes)

Discussion (40 minutes)

1. Tell me about your OT journey to working for a VNS company.
2. What have you learned about the vagus nerve and its role in recovery?
3. I want to give a short overview of a systematic review on VNS. What jumps out to you in this article?
4. Walk us through the mechanics of VNS stimulation.
5. What type of therapy is paired with it? And do therapists need special training?
6. How is success being measured?
7. How much does VNS cost, and how do patients access it?
8. Who is VNS a best fit for currently? And, who is NOT a candidate?
9. What do you personally see as the future of VNS and stroke rehab?

Live Q&A (10 min)

Closing (5 min)

Supporting Research and Journal Articles

• The Effect of Vagus Nerve Stimulation on the Rehabilitation of Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
• Vagus nerve stimulation paired with rehabilitation for upper limb motor function after ischaemic stroke (VNS-REHAB): a randomised, blinded, pivotal, device trial
• Long-Term Outcomes of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Paired With Upper Extremity Rehabilitation After Stroke

Target Audience/Educational Level

Our target audience is occupational therapy practitioners who are looking to learn more about vagus nerve stimulation and stroke. The educational level is introductory.

Financial and Non-financial Disclosures

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

We here at OT Potential have no financial stake in this topic. 

Speakers

Sarah Blair, OTR/L

Sarah Blair is an experienced occupational therapist specialized with subject matter expertise spanning neurological, infant, and burn rehabilitation. Sarah previously worked at Riley Hospital for Children for five years, and has also held roles in private outpatient and early intervention settings, building a well-rounded foundation across the spectrum of pediatric care. Fascinated by neurorecovery and neuroplasticity, Sarah joined the Mobia Medical team in December 2025 as the Indiana Therapy Development Specialist, bringing her passion for connecting clinicians and families with innovative treatment options for those searching for continued recovery.

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L

Sarah’s passion is helping fellow OT practitioners translate evidence into daily practice. Sarah earned her BA in religion from St. Olaf College, then earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University in 2011.

Since then, she’s worked in numerous facilities, including a critical access hospital, an acute trauma hospital, and a state inpatient psychiatric hospital. Sarah is the founder/owner of OT Potential. Read more about OT Potential here.

This course was designed to meet your continuing education requirements

We designed the courses in the Club to meet the requirements for “online” and “independent/self-study” courses. To verify the requirements from your specific state (within the US), check out our post, OT Continuing Education Requirements. If you are outside of the United States and have questions, please contact us.

We are proud to be an AOTA Approved Provider and to meet the requirements for your NBCOT renewal.

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