Smarter rehab

An Australian study is exploring VR for safe fall recovery among people with spinal cord injury. The University of Queensland is leading the project, which is developing a virtual reality programme to help patients practise safe falls for the first time. The work builds on seven years of research into spinal cord injury and falls [...]

Nyra health has raised €20m in a Series A round to expand its AI-based neurorehab platform across Europe and the US. The Vienna-based company said it will use the funding to expand its technology platform in the DACH region, accelerate its US expansion and pursue its aim of setting a new standard for data-driven neurorehabilitation. [...]

People with mental illness who use AI chatbots risk a worsening of their condition, according to a study published after screening health records from nearly 54,000 patients. Researchers reviewed electronic health records and identified cases where AI chatbot use appeared to have negative effects, primarily through worsened delusions. Delusions are fixed false beliefs held despite [...]

A musician with MND returned to the stage after AI recreated his singing voice. As reported by the BBC, Patrick Darling, 32, from Bristol, has been a singer and composer since the age of 14 but was diagnosed with the degenerative condition at 29. He described losing the ability to sing and play instruments as [...]

By SweetTree Home Care Services As the home care industry evolves, so do the many solutions on offer for those with additional needs, with technology playing a big role in this growth. Working in cooperation with SweetTree Home Care services, the technology support service JC Explore is one of the many organisations pushing for the integration [...]

By eXRt Delivering effective stroke rehabilitation is difficult for therapists. Therapists are increasingly expected to support more patients, across different settings, while maintaining evidence-based practice and high standards of care. Resynk has been designed with these challenges in mind, providing therapists with a flexible, scalable and clinically aligned solution for delivering stroke rehabilitation more effectively. [...]

A smartwatch app that tracks social contact in hospitalised stroke survivors may aid recovery, new research suggests. Researchers developed SocialBit, a machine learning app for Android smartwatches that detects social interactions in people with and without neurological conditions. It is currently available only for research use. Speech and language problems after stroke are [...]

Two people with spinal cord injuries have received BCI therapy, a brain-computer interface designed to restore movement. The procedures bring the total number of people to receive ONWARD Medical's investigational ARC-BCI system to seven. A brain-computer interface allows direct communication between the brain and external devices, translating brain signals into commands that can control movement. [...]

OpenAI has invested in co-founder Sam Altman's brain-computer interface startup Merge Labs. The generative AI provider was a major investor in the company's US$252m seed round. A brain-computer interface allows direct communication between the brain and external devices. The potential for an investment was rumoured in the middle of last year. OpenAI said [...]

A new wearable device could help stroke survivors communicate, offering speech support without implants. The device, called Revoice, uses ultra-sensitive sensors and artificial intelligence to decode speech signals and emotional cues so people with post-stroke speech impairment can communicate. Worn as a soft, flexible choker, it captures heart rate and tiny vibrations from throat muscles, [...]