Therapy
Natalie MacKenzie is director of cognitive rehabilitation specialists, BIS Services. Newly appointed as chair of the International Society for Cognitive Rehabilitation (iSCR) board, Natalie lays out her short and longer term goals for the society, from increasing awareness of cognitive rehabilitation to improving global collaboration. As newly appointed chair of The International Society for Cognitive [...]
A new study suggests a drug could support the brain’s own repair systems after traumatic injury, potentially addressing a major treatment gap. The compound, known as CMX-2043, appears to increase levels of antioxidant enzymes – proteins that help clear harmful molecules from the brain following trauma. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs that directly repair [...]
A brain training programme has been shown to deliver cognitive improvements for military personnel with mild traumatic brain injury in a third of the time of standard methods. The study involved 148 active-duty service members experiencing persistent cognitive issues following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Researchers compared two cognitive rehabilitation protocols and found both delivered [...]
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, [...]
An experimental drug has shown early promise in treating brain injuries caused by repeated blast exposure, a common issue among military personnel. Pre-clinical research found the drug reduced harmful brain proteins linked to long-term cognitive decline and showed potential to ease brain inflammation in animal models. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) related to military service [...]
Writing letters to loved ones as they were before their brain injury may help families understand and cope with the complex grief that often follows, researchers have found. A pilot study explored how a structured writing exercise could support families dealing with “ambiguous grief” – a form of grief experienced when someone is physically present [...]
Personalised electrical stimulation may improve movement recovery in people with spinal cord injuries, early findings suggest. A study involving five participants found that adjusting the location, strength and type of stimulation produced stronger muscle responses than standard, uniform approaches. The research, from Thomas Jefferson University’s Raphael Center for Neurorestoration, investigated transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS). [...]
People with severe depression who received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) were 34 per cent less likely to die by suicide than those treated with standard alternatives such as antidepressant medication, a major international review has found. The meta-analysis – which combines and analyses data from multiple earlier studies – also showed a 30 per cent reduction [...]
A class of drugs currently used to treat cancer may also help stroke patients recover by protecting neurons and limiting damage following a stroke. Known as HDACi (histone deacetylase inhibitors), these drugs work by altering gene expression in microglia – the brain’s immune cells – following stroke. Instead of driving damaging inflammation, HDACi appear to [...]
A new therapy combining electrical nerve stimulation with physical rehabilitation has led to significant improvements in arm and hand function for people with spinal cord injuries. The treatment, known as closed-loop vagus nerve stimulation (CLV), uses a small device implanted in the neck that delivers electrical pulses to the brain during targeted rehabilitation exercises. Researchers [...]
