FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about GONDOLA^®

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The GONDOLA® medical device

What is GONDOLA™ medical device?

The goal of GONDOLA^® AMPS treatment is to improve motor symptoms during the middle to late stages of Parkinson’s disease; it is intended to be used in conjunction with drug treatments prescribed by the patient’s neurologist. GONDOLA™ medical device is meant as a tool to be used by the neurologist as a supplementary treatment for the symptoms of patients living with Parkinson’s or with conditions caused by stroke or ataxia.

Is GONDOLA^® a sort of shoe?

GONDOLA^® is a medical device similar to a shoe, but it is worn only during the seated treatment session. The treatment lasts less than 2 minutes and must be repeated a couple of times per week.

While undergoing the treatment, the patient must remain seated and must not, under any circumstances, attempt to stand up or walk.

How can I verify if GONDOLA^® would be helpful to me?

The benefits of stimulation, like those of any treatment, are individual.
For this reason, the patient must come in for an appointment at an Specialized GONDOLA^® Center. During this appointment, the patient will undergo an initial stimulation session with the GONDOLA^® medical device, to allow the healthcare providers and, more importantly, the patient and those who care for the patient to verify the treatment response.

The GONDOLA® AMPS treatment

How many sessions are needed in order to see an improvement?

The patients themselves or the people who care for the patients on a regular basis will be able to see immediately whether the treatment has been effective. In other words, it is apparent straight away if the treatment has brought about appreciable benefits in terms of movement capabilities.
If the initial stimulation session is effective, the improvement in movement capabilities tends to stabilize through repetition of the treatment over time (generally twice per week).
If the treatment is stopped, patients tend to regress to the condition they were in before the first stimulation session within a few weeks.

What happens if I buy it and then find that it is not effective?

During the first visit to an Specialized GONDOLA^® Center, we assess whether the patient exhibits the symptoms for which AMPS treatment is effective and carry out an initial stimulation to allow the patient to assess their response and the degree of benefit obtained.
In this way, the patient can make a fully informed decision about whether or not to purchase GONDOLA^® based on the benefits they have experienced.

Does the GONDOLA™ medical device replace drug treatments?

The goal of GONDOLA^® AMPS treatment is to improve motor symptoms during the middle to late stages of Parkinson’s disease or in conditions caused by stroke or ataxia; it is intended to be used in conjunction with drug treatments and/or physical therapy prescribed by the patient’s neurologist.
GONDOLA™ medical device is intended as a tool to be used by the neurologist as a supplementary

treatment for the symptoms of patients living with Parkinson’s disease or with conditions caused by stroke or ataxia.

How long do the effects last?

Each GONDOLA^® AMPS stimulation session provides benefits that last an average of 3 to 5 days before another treatment is necessary.

Are the benefits maintained through treatment repetition?

To maintain the benefits, it is important that the treatment be repeated at regular intervals.

How to distinguish the effects of drug treatments from those of GONDOLA™

Patients affected by Parkinson’s who are undergoing drug treatments are familiar (as are their physician and families) with their own clinical condition; in particular, they are aware of which motor symptoms persist despite the treatments they are undergoing.
The effects of GONDOLA^® must be assessed based on the benefits obtained from the stimulation in terms of recovery of movement capabilities.

How is it possible for the stimulation to have an impact on the central nervous system?

The technological innovation of GONDOLA^® is based on the principle of stimulating the peripheral nervous system and, more precisely speaking, bilateral plantar sensory/proprioceptive stimulation.
GONDOLA^® mechanically stimulates specific areas on both feet that cause improved activation of the areas of the brain related to movement control, sensory motor integration and visuospatial information. This phenomenon was documented in a clinical study whose results have been published in the scientific journal PlosOne. These findings help to explain the effects of the stimulation in terms of improvements in motor symptoms, balance, and reduced freezing of gait in Parkinson’s.

Is it effective for all symptoms of Parkinson’s, stroke and ataxia?

The treatment provided by the GONDOLA^® medical device has been shown to be effective in improving the motor symptoms of neurological diseases or those caused by neurological damage.
In particular, it has been shown to be effective in reducing the phenomenon known as Parkinson’s freezing, also known as freezing of gait. What’s more, GONDOLA^® can improve speed and stability when walking, thus making it possible to reduce the risk of falling, which is a danger especially in the late stages of the disease.

For whom is the GONDOLA® device intended?

Is it recommended in the early or late stages?

GONDOLA^® can improve motor symptoms during any stage of Parkinson’s.
However, a clinical study published in the journal Parkinson’s Disease showed that Automated Mechanical Peripheral Stimulation (AMPS) treatment is capable of improving gait spatiotemporal parameters in Parkinson’s patients and highlighted a relationship between the patient’s disease severity and the degree of improvement in stride length brought about by AMPS treatment: patients with a more deteriorated overall motor condition experienced greater improvements from AMPS treatment. Therefore, patients in later Parkinson’s disease stages may especially benefit from the GONDOLA AMPS treatment.

Is it effective for the young or for elderly patients?

Use of the GONDOLA^® medical device does not depend on the age of the patient and, where the symptoms are similar, is equally effective for the young and the elderly.

Is it effective in cases of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?

Clinical studies have not yet been conducted to assess the effectiveness of the device in cases of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Can it be used by patients who have an implanted DBS system?

Use of the GONDOLA^® AMPS treatment is not contraindicated for patients with an implanted DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) system.
Since the treatment delivers mechanical, as opposed to electrical, stimulation, it does not interfere with DBS.

Sales Information

Where can I purchase GONDOLA™ medical device?

The GONDOLA^® medical device is distributed and sold directly by Gondola Medical Technologies SA, a Swiss company specialized in devices and treatments for neurological rehabilitation.

You can purchase it at an Specialized GONDOLA^® Center, where you must first make an appointment to assess the patient’s response to the GONDOLA^® AMPS treatment.

Once you have purchased the device, the same Specialized GONDOLA^® Center will perform the personalization of the GONDOLA^® medical device based on the patient’s characteristics.

What is the price of the GONDOLA^® medical device for Parkinson’s, stroke and ataxia?

For cost and other commercial information, please contact us by clicking the contact button and filling the form.

Where can I get GONDOLA^® AMPS Treatment?

GONDOLA^® is a personal medical device designed to allow the patient to carry out their own AMPS treatmentindependently, at home. Assistance by specialized personnel at an Specialized GONDOLA^® Center is required only for the suitability assessment, which includes the initial stimulation session, and to calibrate the device once it has been purchased.

Can I rent GONDOLA^® medical device?

GONDOLA™ is a device that is customized to fit the specific characteristics of each individual patient. It is therefore designed for individual personal use and cannot be rented.