Join the NeuroSpark Priority List

332: Can Transcutaneous Stimulation (TSS) Help Patients With Spinal Cord Injuries Improve? With Dr. Yi-Kai Lo, PhD and Rose Tilton, OTR/L, OTD

Aug 24, 2026

In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS, talks with returning guest Rose Tilton, OTR/L, OTD, an occupational therapist at Marquette University's Neuro Recovery Clinic, and new guest Dr. Yi-Kai Lo, PhD, CEO and co-founder of ANEUVO, about transcutaneous spinal stimulation (TSS) for people with spinal cord injury. Rose shares how she discovered TSS through her own research, became a clinical trial site investigator at Marquette, and now uses ANEUVO's ExaStim® device — a multi-channel electrode array system that can be individually programmed and timed to match specific functional movements — alongside other TSS devices on the market, including ONWARD Medical's ARC-EX. Dr. Lo walks through the engineering behind ExaStim, how the device is positioned and calibrated for each patient, and the proposed mechanism of amplifying descending brain signals to the spinal cord. Together they cover who's actually a good candidate (spoiler: it's hard to predict), what a typical treatment session looks like from aerobic priming through hand-strengthening work, and real patient outcomes ranging from improved grip and transfers to unexpected anecdotal gains, like bowel and bladder function for some. Dr. Lo also shares results from ANEUVO's ASPIRE clinical trial and home-use study, including a newly designated CPT code that will make TSS billing possible starting January 2027. Whether you're new to TSS or already using it in your practice, this conversation is full of practical, clinically grounded insight into where this intervention is headed.

ANEUVO website: aneuvo.com

Contact ANEUVO here: contactus@aneuvo.com

Dr. Lo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yi-kai-lo-53531977/

Dr. Lo Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=cqiyyYgAAAAJ&hl=en

ANEUVO LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aneuvo/

276: Clinical Use of Spinal Stimulation for SCI Rehab with Rose Tilton, OTR/L, OTD