Welcome to your daily round-up of everything happening in the world of neurorehab.
Research
Robotic system feeds people with severe mobility limitations
Cornell researchers have developed a robotic feeding system that uses computer vision, machine learning and multimodal sensing to safely feed people with severe mobility limitations, including those with spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis.
Discrimination may speed up biological ageing
Discrimination may speed up the biological processes of ageing, according to a new study led by researchers at the NYU School of Global Public Health. The research links interpersonal discrimination to changes at the molecular level, revealing a potential root cause of disparities in ageing-related illness and death.
How night shift work impacts risk of chronic conditions
Just a few days on a night shift schedule throws off protein rhythms related to blood glucose regulation, energy metabolism and inflammation, processes that can influence the development of chronic metabolic conditions. A new study shows that these disrupted rhythms can be seen in as little as three days, which suggests early intervention to prevent diabetes and obesity is possible. Such intervention could also help lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, which is also elevated in night shift workers.
Technology
Researchers publish largest-ever dataset of neural connections
Researchers have created the largest synaptic-resolution, 3D reconstruction of a piece of human brain to date, showing in vivid detail each cell and its web of neural connections in a piece of human temporal cortex about half the size of a rice grain.
Company updates
Neurocrine Biosciences launches Phase 1 clinical study
Neurocrine Biosciences has announced the initiation of its Phase 1 first-in-human clinical study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of investigational compound NBI-1076986 in healthy adult participants. NBI-1076986 is an investigational, oral, M4 subtype-selective muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist for the potential treatment of movement disorders that was discovered and developed by Neurocrine Biosciences.
Calico and Broad Institute extend focus to age-related neurodegeneration
Calico and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have further extended their partnership with an added focus on age-related neurodegeneration. Initially announced in March 2015, this renewed agreement extends the collaboration until September 2029 and will continue to support ongoing programs focused on the biology and genetics of ageing as well as early-stage drug discovery.
