Helping Physicians Objectively and Optimally Manage Memory Loss, Cognitive Impairment, and Other Conditions: Evoke Neuroscience, Inc

Hired to teach mental health and applied medical neuroscience methods within the U.S. Navy, Family Medicine Residency program at Camp Lejeune, Dr. David Hagedorn was always concerned about more objective brain assessment that would guide more effective treatments. During his period of teaching medical neuroscience elective, it became apparent that all the available brain assessment technology that uses electroencephalography were not portable, had difficult software to learn,and simply just too difficult to practically use in a busy medical practice. The ability to rapidly, inexpensively, and reliably measure the functional health of the brain is always important to numerous medical conditions.

With a vision to develop an automated, wireless, non-intrusive, low-cost, rapid deployment brain function measurement,and treatment system, Dr. David Hagedorn, Dr. Nicole Hagedorn and new partner Dr. James Thompson founded Evoke Neuroscience, Inc..

Improving Quality Of Life

Founded in 2009, Evoke Neuroscience creates avant-garde technology that helps physicians to evaluate patient’s brain health and to train the brain using brain computer interface technology in order to achieve healthier brain functioning. Focusing on improving human health and wellbeing which starts with the brain, Evokeis dedicated to developing and delivering the most important advances in brain science by solving the current gap in comprehensive brain assessments and training solutions. Because the brain orchestrates every system in the body it only makes sense for a simple and low cost office functional brain test as part of a wellness visit and certainly when there are signs or symptoms detected in a clinical interview. Dr. Hagedorn states, “By offering objective measures of brain function at the slightest sign of trouble, we can often catch subtle abnormalities in the central nervous system much earlier and therefore intervene sooner for improved outcomes.”

Today, Evoke Neuroscience deploys FDA Registered medical technology thoughout the United States, which means all of the company’s business policies, procedures,and products align with the high FDA Standards. Additionally, the company facility goes through a rigorous and ongoing audition process and is certified by BSI (ISO 13485:2003). Also, on 14 September 2017, Evoke Neuroscience was named to Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies for the Second Consecutive Year.

eVox System: By the Doctors for the Doctors

The company started its journey with a product called “eVox System”. It is a Bluetooth wireless 24-channel electroencephalograpy (EEG), evoke related potential (ERP), and electrocardigraphy (ECG) amplifier complete with dedicated laptop, testing supplies, and carry case. The selection of high-quality circuit boards and components allow for high-quality brain measures (EEG, ERPs) as well as important heart data acquisition for biofeedback interventions. 

The eVox System was designed in such a way that any level technician can use the equipment to reliably record EEG, ERPs, ECG, and symptom inventories that are then processed into useful reports used by the doctors to evaluate patient conditions and chart treament plans. Because it offers a full-head placement of 19 scalp locations the system also allows for accurate sLORETA source localization imaging of areas within the brain that may be sources of patient symptoms and also potential sources for targeted treatments. The eVox System is the easiest to use in the industry to aid in the diagnosis of memory loss and other cognitive disorders. It bosts the added benefit of offering EEG and heart rate variability biofeedback treatment capabilities, making it an ideal primary or specialist care insturment for assessment and treatment of a wide range of patients. 

Without using a number of marketing and sales methods, Evoke Neuroscience has managed to grow exponentially each year. The company today is at a stage where it can add large-scale marketing, sales, and distribution which will result in thousands of doctors being able to add this valuable medical product to their practices and hospitals. Evoke’s CEO and President Dr. David Hagedorn explains that through their recently aquired Veterans Affairds Federal Supply Schedue contract, he hopes to see this non-invasive and very informative EEG and ERP technology help thousands of military veterans more objectively assess conditions like brain injury and PTSD. He explains, “By having and showing a person their own objective brain function data, it helps demystify the ‘label’ or diagnosis given, and gives them hope that there is a real and measureable reason for their symptoms. In short, it is a ‘lab test’ for the brain, with pictures.”

The Success Story

Even luck will not favor if there is no hard work involved. Success only comes to those who stick to their mission and Evoke Neuroscience is one good example for that. There is far more to building a successful business than an angel investment and a great idea. No matter whether it falls or rises, the core leadership always has to be tireless, driven by doing what is right for the company, the stockholders, the consumers, and the staff. 

To achieve a goal, it requires tons of planning and commitment and Evoke Neuroscience has brilliantly managed to maintain its venture all these years. The company believes that the secret sauce to the business growth and success recipe is to blend creative thinkers with the more linear thinkers as it helps in getting a nice balance of insights that drive better decisions about forwarding growth.

Furthermore, the founders of Evoke always have a nice blend of talents and real-world clinical experience which permits the development and improvement of Evoke Neuroscience’s every product. It is not just the founders – even the staff gets equal credits. Everyone at Evoke loves their jobs, each and every staff member gives 100% and they love doing so. They are talented and eager to make the products and customer experience better.

“They are not just employees –they are more than the backbone of the company, they are the breath of life within the company.”

Proved Its Worth

With its world-class service, Evoke Neuroscience has marked its territory in the industry and is gaining an immense popularity and the strong support of international medical research.

Within the last few years,many capital groups and investors in healthcare and technology funds have expressed interest in Evoke Neuroscience. There are even merger opportunities of late based on the collective successes, new FDA 510(k) achnowlegments, government contracts, and rapid growth of demand for the integrated medical use of this technology. Early detection of memory loss and dementia are but one example where the eVox System’s recordings are proving to be most valuable. The non-invasive, low cost, and very easy to obtain EEG/ERP measures within the primary care doctor’s office allows for rapid biomarker detection. The eVox System output further permits the doctor to show images of locations in the brain that are not functioning optimally and that may correlate to the very specific symptoms the patient experiences. These graphic images help the patient understand their early condition and by seeing it on paper it helps motivate them to adhere to ealry life changing interventions. Being able to offer patients early measurements, more senstivive than paper-and-pencil symptom screening tests, is a tremendous benefit to doctors and their patients that both seek earlier interventions.

Howdy, Chief!

Dr. David Hagedorn is the Founder, CEO, Chief Science Officer, and President of Evoke Neuroscience, Inc. Dr. Hagedorn is experienced in clinical health psychology and neuropsychology and serves on advisory boards for neuromodulation and neuroscience.  As a former Assistant Professor of Military and Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine, he continues to offer educational and peer consulting services to teach other doctors how to optimally interage this important electrophysiology data into their assessment and treatment of patients.

Dr. Hagedorn has graduate degrees in Applied Behavior Analysis, Health Psychology, Gerontology, and Clinical Psychology.

Hagedorn is also Board Certified by the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance as an electroencephalography biofeedback practitioner. He is a recognized leader in the clinical neuroscience and neuromodulation field with expertise in neuromodulation, EEG and ERP acquisition, qEEG analysis, and brain-computer interface (BCI) and portable peripheral biofeedback methods. He is a clinical and technical advisor to physicians and companies that specialize in the integrative use of transcranial direct current stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

"Doctors are looking to help their patients and offer an alternative and low side-effect treatment options. And our eVox System meets this need better than anything else like it on or off the market."