Tech & industry

Researchers are conducting the first-large scale trial of a device which could help people with Parkinson’s Disease to walk better. Over 200 people with Parkinson’s at eight sites around the UK will test the use of a Functional Electrical Simulation (FES) device, which is already used by people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and those who’ve [...]

A new federal initiative aims to restore brain function lost through stroke, traumatic brain injury or dementia by regenerating damaged brain tissue using stem cell technology. The programme focuses on the neocortex – the brain’s largest region responsible for movement, sensory processing and decision-making – long thought to be beyond repair once damaged. Launched by [...]

Active Care Group, a UK based provider of complex care, has launched a new division - Active Neuro, offering transformative rehabilitation through technology-enhanced clinical pathways for adults within the UK with neurological conditions resulting from injury, illness or disease. The complex care provider has invested in the latest rehabilitation technology at their existing neurological services, [...]

For the first time, researchers have shown that it may be possible to diagnose Parkinson’s disease years before it becomes untreatable, by scanning people’s brains with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). It has been known for some time that otherwise symptom-free people who are slowly developing Parkinson’s Disease complain about the loss of their sense [...]

Disabled people should be involved from the earliest stages of assistive technology design to ensure it reflects real-life needs, a new report from the Royal Society says. More than half of disabled digital assistive technology (AT) users surveyed said they could not live the way they do without it. Tools cited range from voice assistants [...]

A new bioelectric implant has restored movement in rats with spinal cord injuries, offering early evidence of a possible future treatment for paralysis in humans. The ultra-thin device sits directly on the spinal cord and delivers a carefully controlled electrical current across the injury site, encouraging damaged nerve fibres to heal. Rats treated daily for [...]

Two medical technology projects from Addenbrooke’s Hospital have secured a share of £3m in national funding to support work on acquired brain injuries. The projects are among 35 selected through the Invention for Innovation (i4i) Funding At the Speed of Translation (FAST) 4 Awards, run by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). [...]

The Longitude Prize on ALS, a new £7.5 million global challenge prize, has launched today to incentivise and reward cutting edge AI-based approaches to transform drug discovery for the treatment of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), the most common form of MND (motor neurone disease). ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that damages the nerves in [...]

A Phase 2a trial of a new Parkinson’s disease drug has passed an interim safety review, allowing researchers to proceed with higher dose testing. The EXIST study is assessing exidavnemab as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy (MSA)—a rare disorder where nerve cells in multiple areas of the brain progressively deteriorate. [...]

Virtual reality used alongside standard therapy may help stroke survivors regain arm function, a major new analysis suggests. The updated review, which draws on data from 190 trials involving 7,188 people, suggests VR could be a promising rehabilitation tool—particularly by increasing the amount of therapy patients receive without needing constant supervision from clinicians. This is [...]