Smarter rehab

Bioliberty has raised €2.95m to extend its rehabilitation technology into patients’ homes and develop connected care data and AI tools. The Edinburgh- and Boston-based company secured the funding through a Series A extension, bringing its total funding to €12.07m (US$13.5m). The latest €2.95m (US$3.3m) follows €9.12m (US$10.2m) raised through previous pre-Series A and Series A [...]

A research project will use AI speech analysis to investigate communication difficulties in veterans with mild traumatic brain injury that standard assessments may miss. The one-year study will examine whether speech patterns can provide objective evidence of cognitive and communication problems, with the aim of developing a tool for routine clinical use. Researchers will analyse [...]

An ultrasound implant the size of a small plaster could help doctors track changes at the site of a spinal cord injury after surgery, early animal research suggests. The temporary device was successfully implanted and provided real-time images and blood flow information around the injured area. The findings provide early evidence of its potential for [...]

Spinal cord injury changes gut microbes in mice, with two studies linking these changes to inflammation, weight loss and disrupted nitrogen balance. One study found that reintroducing a bacterial species depleted after injury reduced inflammation and stabilised weight loss in mice. The second identified 19 microbial species strongly associated with nitrogen loss after injury, a [...]

A clinical trial is testing whether implanted spinal stimulation can help people with spinal cord injury maintain blood pressure when sitting or standing. The multicentre Empower BP study is investigating whether epidural electrical stimulation can treat orthostatic hypotension, a condition in which blood pressure drops when someone changes position. The treatment delivers electrical pulses near [...]

By Rachel Maxwell, social media and marketing officer, BIS Services "Bad people move fast. Good people must too." This line, delivered by AI and systems expert Rebecca Whitney at BIS Services' Human-Centred AI conference last month, landed hard in a room full neurorehabilitation professionals who have spent careers being deliberately, carefully slow. In neurorehabilitation, caution [...]

Author: Esme Mendel-Roe, Psychology Intern, Supervised by Dr Penny Trayner, Paediatric Clinical Neuropsychologist. A critical distinction exists between a building being described as “accessible” and an individual being able to use it functionally and independently. Too often, accessibility is treated as a simple checklist: a step-free entrance, an accessible toilet, a lift. While these provisions [...]

Finding the right transport solution for your client is an important role for any Occupational Therapist or Case Manager. Brotherwood can help you guide your clients through the available options, to make the right choice for their needs and ensure a successful outcome. How can Brotherwood help: When assessing the most suitable transport for a [...]

By The Children’s Trust Every year, 40,000 children in the UK experience a brain injury. Around 350 sustain a severe acquired brain injury requiring rehabilitation, but only a fraction can access the specialist treatment provided by The Children's Trust. For those who do, the impact can be life-changing. At the national specialist centre in Tadworth, [...]

Patients who appear to be in a coma may be able to communicate through their thoughts, according to new research into severe brain injury. A brain-computer interface allowed about one in three unresponsive patients with acute brain injury to control a beeping tone using their thoughts. The non-invasive technology uses electrodes placed on the scalp [...]