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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 [...]
A former head of the British military has urged ministers to ease rules so MDMA therapy can be tested for veterans with PTSD. Sir Nick Carter, chief of the defence staff until 2021, said existing regulations mean a single gram of medical-grade MDMA costs about £10,000 compared with a street price of about £40, inflating [...]
A new study shows how the Parkinson's protein alpha-synuclein harms brain cells by disrupting mitochondria. Abnormal clumps of alpha-synuclein can injure neurons. Mitochondria are the cell’s energy producers, and their failure starves cells of power. The work clarifies how these problems connect, pointing to a direct interaction that undermines mitochondrial function. Researchers from [...]
A study will assess whether a cooling collar can improve recovery after traumatic brain injury. The device, named CB240 Aurora, is applied around the neck and aims to lower brain temperature in a targeted way. Brain cooling, or induced hypothermia, can limit swelling after stroke or head injury. Whole-body cooling can cause side effects such [...]
More than 500 children and young people with spinal cord injury will receive support thanks to £60,000 from the London Freemasons. The three-year grant has been awarded to the Back Up Trust through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, funded by Freemasons, their families and friends from across England and Wales. Every year, more than 200 children [...]
Traumatic brain injury is more common among domestic violence survivors than American football players, new research has found. Survivors of abuse can sustain head trauma more often than those playing the sport, with many experiencing injury from strangulation or blunt force trauma. Desiree Gorbea-Finalet of Disability Rights North Carolina said: "Brain injuries are much more [...]
Facial fractures affect up to 15 per cent of trauma patients and can flag life-threatening brain injuries that might otherwise be missed, new research has revealed. Facial injuries range from soft tissue damage and burns to dental trauma and fractures of the facial skeleton. Such fractures are a known marker for other serious harm, with [...]
Newly discovered blood markers could underpin a Parkinson's blood test that flags the disease years before symptoms appear, researchers said. While there is currently no cure for the degenerative brain condition and no test to diagnose it, early detection is crucial to start treatments that may slow progression. A blood test for these markers could [...]
Electromagnetic therapy combined with physical therapy significantly reduced disability in stroke survivors, preliminary research has found. The therapy, called electromagnetic network-targeted field therapy (ENTF), stimulates specific connections in the brain with electromagnetic pulses. An analysis of two small clinical trials suggests that the treatment is safe and may be effective in reducing overall disability after [...]
Over 100 patients with spinal conditions attended a community assessment day aimed at improving ongoing health and wellbeing ahead of future appointments and treatment. The Spinal Community Assessment Day is a collaborative pilot between The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, the Spinal Clinical Network, Everton in the Community and local community services, aimed at improving [...]
