People living with spinal cord injury can experience lasting pain relief through the injection of micro-fragmented adipose tissue (MFAT) for rotator cuff disease, new research has revealed.
A team of specialists in regenerative rehabilitation have shown through a pilot study that MFAT can deliver benefits to wheelchair users who experience shoulder problems. In the study, nearly 80 per cent of participants saw a meaningful decrease in pain symptoms through an ultrasound-guided injection of MFAT, and all but one reported some improvement in pain and function. Scores also declined steadily over the first three months for all metrics, and over the entire year for the BPI-17 pain metric, suggesting that this intervention has long-lasting effects.
Rehabilitation technology developed by Fourier Intelligence has won yet more recognition for its globally-significant innovation.
The ExoMotus M4, a lower limb exoskeleton, was awarded the Shanghai Design 100+ accolade. The exoskeleton, a gait and body weight system, is the first and only product of its kind on the market with its own body weight supporting system. The ExoMotus M4 will be launched into the Chinese market at the Shanghai GReAT 2021 annual summit at the end of July, and is expected to be unveiled in the international market in early 2022.
The latest recognition comes only shortly after Fourier Intelligence won four awards at the China International Medical Equipment (CMEF) Spring Expo, with two being given to its newly-revamped ArmMotusTM M2 Pro device.
A new chair has been appointed by the British Association of Brain Injury and Complex Case Management (BABICM).
Vicki Gilman has taken over at the helm of BABICM, which is the representative body for continued professional advancement of case management and promotes best practice in supporting people with brain injury and complex conditions.
She takes over from Angela Kerr, who steps down after five years in the role at the helm, in what is BABICM's 25th anniversary year.
“I’m delighted to be BABICM’s new chair in our 25th anniversary year.The organisation has a well-established, powerful and influential voice and we will continue to ensure that the needs of people with brain injury and complex medical conditions are recognised and met," says Vicki.
Medication which targets white blood cells and stabilises atherosclerotic plaques could be used to help prevent strokes, new research has revealed.
By ‘re-programming’ white blood cells, the ability to switch them from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory state has been discovered. Pro-inflammatory white blood cells are known to make atherosclerotic plaques unstable, making them more likely to rupture and block blood flow to the brain.
When the University of Sheffield research team took a type of white blood cell known as macrophages from human blood samples and treated them with a common anti-inflammatory drug for 24 hours, they found that the macrophages themselves became anti-inflammatory.
Unveiling their findings yesterday at the British Cardiovascular Society conference, the anti-inflammatory macrophages were also less able to bind to and ingest harmful oxidised LDL (OxLDL), known to play a major role in atherosclerosis and present in high quantities in plaques most likely to lead to a stroke.
The lifelong consequences of domestic violence on brain health are to be investigated through new research.
The Drake IPV Study – led by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, and funded by The Drake Foundation – will examine individuals exposed to domestic abuse, many of whom currently report a history of traumatic brain injury.
The research – overseen by Professor Willie Stewart, who leads multiple collaborative research programmes exploring outcomes from traumatic brain injury – recognises the growing awareness of the association between brain injury and increased risk of neurodegenerative disease, including dementia.
Domestic abuse – or intimate partner violence – is all too common, with global estimates suggesting approximately 30 per cent of women over age 15 years will have been exposed to physical or sexual intimate partner violence.
Social workers must receive better training and information around acquired brain injuries (ABI) following the findings of a review into the death of a man in Brighton, a brain injury organisation has said.
A review into the death of a 42-year-old man - known as ‘James’ - who had an ABI, has found the current safeguarding system to be insufficient, with a lack of expert knowledge in brain injury among the agencies working to protect him.
Now, UKABIF (UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum) has written to Social Work England and the Secretary of State for Health, gathering signatures from experts across health, social work and law in support of their call for improved training for social workers.
James died in July 2019 and his death led to a Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) looking at the involvement of Brighton & Hove Health and Adult Social Care, Brighton & Hove CCG/Sussex NHS Commissioners, Sussex Police, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust, Brighton & Hove Housing Department, Money Advice Plus and Brighton and Hove Safer Communities Team.
As a specialist provider of mental health support, caring for some of the most clinically complex patients in the UK’s mental health system, the team of experts at St Andrew’s provide bespoke clinical and therapeutic approaches that enable vulnerable patients to recover. Here, NR Times meets senior social worker, Emma Wakeman
Can you tell us about your experience in mental health I’ve been at St Andrew’s for three and a half years and I’ve always worked in neuropsychiatry. I actually did a student placement here when I was training to be a social worker and just absolutely loved it. I loved the patients and the work so I applied for a job and got it.
Eye tracking technology is proving to be a lifeline for people living with ALS, delivering vital communication assistance which helps to break isolation. Here, leading healthtech influencer and ambassador for health innovation Gil Bashe discusses the power of such intervention
The moment the flood of ice-cold water poured over my head, there was shock and silence; seconds afterward, my senses returned. I blurted out: “That’s cold!” Family nearby laughed, the moment passed, and the video of my ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was shared online. Mission accomplished, or so one might think. My state of frozen speechlessness was over in a moment, but for people diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), that state doesn’t just last for a moment. It’s an ongoing, harsh and frightening reality that makes life more difficult and can actually shorten it.
The first new treatment for Alzheimer's disease for nearly 20 years has been approved by regulators in the United States.
Aducanumab targets the underlying cause of Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, rather than its symptoms.
An estimated 850,000 people live with dementia in the UK - around 100,000 of whom with early stage dementia could benefit from the drug - with the US approval of aducanumab giving hope that it could next be approved here. Aducanumab - which has had a controversial trial period to date - targets amyloid, a protein that forms abnormal clumps in the brains of people with Alzheimer's that can damage cells and trigger dementia, including memory and thinking problems and communication issues.
In March 2019, late-stage international trials of aducanumab, involving about 3,000 patients, were halted when analysis showed it was no better, given as a monthly infusion, at slowing the deterioration of memory and thinking problems than a dummy drug.
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges for people living with dementia, as well as for those who support them. Tracey Carter, senior quality manager (dementia care) at Exemplar Health Care, shares how colleagues across the company have found innovative ways to support people living with dementia to stay safe and well, and uphold the principles of person-centred care
It’s vital that health and social care workers, other professionals and family carers continue to take a person-centred approach to care during the pandemic, to support people with dementia to maintain, and enhance, their health and wellbeing.Putting people first There are currently around 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, each with their own unique personalities and life stories.Everyone will experience the pandemic and its effects differently, which is why it’s important to maintain a person-centred approach.
