Welcome to your daily round-up of everything happening in the world of neurorehabilitation.
Research news
Can ketones enhance cognitive function and protect brain networks?
Researchers at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester have identified mechanisms in the brain’s hippocampal network that are rescued by ketones. These findings build on previous research showing that ketones can alleviate neurological and cognitive affects.
Research provides direct, real-time observation of neuroplasticity during sleep
New research has found that during sleep, some neurons not only replay the recent past but also anticipate future experience. The discovery is one in a series of insights afforded by a study on sleep and learning published in Nature by a team of researchers from Rice University and the University of Michigan. The research offers an unprecedented view of how individual neurons in the hippocampus of rats stabilize and tune spatial representations during periods of rest following the animals’ first time running a maze.
Eye-tracking techniques could help diagnose autism sooner
Nearly 3% of all children in the United States are diagnosed with autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But a collaborative team of researchers at Indiana University and Purdue University are finding ways to make the right diagnosis sooner. The researchers found that when primary care clinician diagnosis and diagnostic certainty was combined with eye-tracking biomarker metrics, the sensitivity of the model was 91% and the specificity was 87%, meaning that they made a more accurate autism diagnosis.
Company and financial neuro-rehab news
First-in-Class Precision Therapy restores UNC13A Function in ALS and FTD
QurAlis Corporation recently announced that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) in which QurAlis is granting Lilly global rights to develop and commercialize QRL-204, a potentially best-in-class splice-switching antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) designed to restore UNC13A function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Petadolex Butterbur may be an effective supplement for Migraine management
A new review in the journal Practical Neurology highlights the efficacy of the supplement Petadolex – manufactured by Linpharma – in preventing migraines. The comprehensive review of “Nutraceuticals for Migraine Management” conducted by headache specialists Drs L. Denysenko and D. Kuruvilla details the effectiveness of four widely available supplements commonly used for migraine prevention. Only Petadolex has data to support reducing migraine frequency with “a predictable dose-response relationship.”
Technology news
Brain-to-brain technology boosts brain-computer interface performance
A groundbreaking study from Tsinghua University in collaboration with Imperial College London has unveiled a novel technique that significantly enhances brain-computer interface (BCI) systems by integrating brain-to-brain interactions among users. This innovative approach, detailed in a new study published in the journal Cyborg Bionic Systems, demonstrates the potential for improved BCI performance in applications such as rehabilitation and multitasking devices.
