Neuro rehab technology
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Researchers have received US$4.4m to conduct a world-first study of prefrontal cortical stimulation in severe bipolar disorder. The funding, from Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving with Bipolar Disorder (BD²), will support research into how large-scale brain networks regulate mood and how manipulating these networks may contribute to shifts between depression and mania – the extreme mood [...]
A drug that promotes nerve growth in adult human brain cells could offer a new way to aid recovery after spinal cord injury. The compound, thiorphan, increased neurite outgrowth — the extensions that connect nerve cells — in adult human brain cells and improved hand function by 50 per cent in rats with spinal injuries. [...]
A portable saliva biosensor costing just US$2.19 can detect protein levels linked to depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in under three minutes. The device measures brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein vital for neuron health whose altered levels are associated with several psychiatric conditions. Developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo and Embrapa [...]
A smartphone platform that helps doctors monitor Parkinson’s symptoms has raised US$5.6m to expand its commercial capacity and advance dementia-monitoring technology. The funding brings total investment to US$11.2m for the clinically validated system, which uses smartphones to track changes in movement, speech and cognition. Kneu Health’s platform includes a tremor measurement tool cleared by the [...]
ONWARD Medical has raised €50.85m to advance spinal cord stimulation technologies and expand commercialisation of its movement restoration systems. The funding comes from a private placement of 11.3 million new shares at €4.50 per share, extending the company’s cash runway through at least the end of 2026. The Netherlands-based neurotechnology company, which also operates a [...]
A US$3m grant has been awarded to develop a military-optimised ultrasound guidance system for spinal interventions in armed forces medical settings. The funding will support the creation of a portable device designed for epidural steroid injections at forward-deployed military hospitals, with development expected to take 36 months. Medical technology developer RIVANNA received the Peer-Reviewed Medical [...]
BioNxt has launched a 15-day dosing optimisation study for its sublingual multiple sclerosis (MS) drug, marking the final step before human bioequivalence testing planned for early 2026. The study represents the last preclinical stage for BNT23001, a thin-film formulation of cladribine designed to dissolve under the tongue for treating MS. Following successful small-animal trials confirming [...]
