Neuro rehab insights

  • $1.75m joint venture to accelerate breakthrough tech for neurological conditions

    A new $1.75 million joint venture will fund and scale breakthrough technologies designed to transform the lives of people living with neurological conditions. The programme, a collaboration between Australian disability services provider MSWA and Founders Factory, will back and fast-track global startups developing cutting-edge solutions, including the use of AI, robotics and wearables that address [...]

  • Former footballer wins landmark brain injury case

    Former Sunderland footballer David Watson has won a key appeal to have his neurological condition recognised as work-related. Watson, 79, who helped Sunderland win the 1973 FA Cup, is living with probable Alzheimer’s and probable CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) — a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts. The Upper Tribunal has overturned a [...]

  • Heavy alcohol use linked to brain bleed in later life

    People who drink heavily are more likely to suffer severe brain bleeds at a younger age, with larger haemorrhages occurring about a decade earlier than in non-drinkers, new research has revealed. Patients who consumed three or more alcoholic drinks a day experienced brain bleeds at an average age of 64, compared with 75 for non-drinkers, [...]

  • National Rehabilitation Centre to be a ‘beacon of hope’ for patients

    The country’s first NHS National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) is set to open its doors for patients. The NRC is a 70-bed, state-of-the-art specialist rehab centre for NHS patients who have experienced a life-changing illness or injury. The centre, at Stanford Hall in Nottinghamshire, is run and staffed by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH). [...]

  • People with spinal cord injuries more likely to develop chronic disorders

    People with traumatic spinal cord injuries face a higher risk of developing long-term health conditions, regardless of their age, injury location or previous health status, new research has found. Researchers found that patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCI) were more likely to develop cardiovascular, endocrine, neurological and psychiatric disorders than people without such injuries. [...]

  • Common brain signalling in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s could unlock new treatments

    A study has identified a shared brain-signalling mechanism in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, revealing a possible common cause behind their neurodegenerative symptoms. Researchers discovered a molecular pathway that disrupts communication between brain cells in both conditions, improving understanding of how their symptoms are produced. The disruption occurs at synapses — junctions between nerve cells where [...]

  • The Wellington Hospital celebrates Neurological and Complex Care Awards win

    HCA UK’s The Wellington Hospital celebrated its Neurological Rehabilitation Centre’s success at the Neurological and Complex Care Awards last week, recognising the highly complex care their teams deliver every day. Their programme for patients with Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness (PDOC) was honoured with the 'Innovation in Neuro Rehab' award for Paolo Tomaselli’s work integrating Neurologic [...]

  • Pea-sized area of the brain linked to schizophrenia risk

    New research has provided new insight into how the habenula, a pea-sized brain region that helps regulate motivation and mood, may contribute to schizophrenia risk. Many schizophrenia-related molecular changes appear to be specific to this region, suggesting the habenula could be a potential target for future treatments. Researchers from the Lieber Institute for Brain Development [...]

  • Wearable brain imaging tech sheds new light on multiple sclerosis

    A study using wearable brain-scanning technology has revealed how brain function differs in people with multiple sclerosis. This research marks the first use of a newly developed technique called OPM-MEG in MS, demonstrating its potential to study neurological disease. OPM-MEG (magnetoencephalography with optically pumped magnetometers) measures electrical brain activity in real time by detecting magnetic [...]

  • Psychedelic DMT decreases stroke damage, study finds

    DMT may protect the brain from stroke damage by stabilising the blood–brain barrier and reducing inflammation, new research suggests. The naturally occurring psychoactive compound dimethyltryptamine (DMT) significantly reduced brain damage in animal models of stroke by protecting the blood–brain barrier – the membrane that controls what passes from the bloodstream into brain tissue – and [...]