Neuro rehab technology
A simple walking test that times how quickly people turn could flag Parkinson's nearly nine years before diagnosis. The finding could help spot patients in the prodromal phase – the earliest stage when brain damage starts but symptoms are subtle. This window can last years before tremor and movement problems prompt diagnosis. The [...]
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 [...]
