Welcome to your daily round-up of everything happening in the world of neurorehabilitation.
Research news
Racial disparities in diagnosis and drug use for dementia symptoms
Compared to Black and Asian people, white and Hispanic people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias were most likely to be diagnosed with symptoms like depression and agitation, according to a new study from the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics. White and Hispanic people with these diagnoses were also most likely to be prescribed central nervous system (CNS) active drugs, including antidepressants, antipsychotics and anticonvulsants. Yet, these drugs have been associated with higher risk of falls, cardiovascular events, hospitalisation and death.
“Subconcussion” is a misleading and dangerous term
A new editorial published this May in the British Journal of Sports Medicine by experts from Spaulding Rehabilitation, Boston University, Mayo Clinic, and the Concussion Legacy Foundation, argues that the term “subconcussion” is a dangerous misnomer that should be retired. The authors are appealing to the medical community and media to substitute the term with more specific terms so the public can better understand the risks of brain injuries and advance effective efforts to prevent chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
“The public has been led to believe through media coverage and movies that concussions alone cause CTE,” said senior author Dan Daneshvar, MD, PhD, chief of Brain Injury Rehabilitation at Spaulding Rehabilitation, a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, and assistant professor, Harvard Medical School. “But the research is clear: concussions do not predict CTE status, and the hits that cause concussions are often not the hardest ones, making ‘subconcussive’ misleading when describing impacts.”
Study identifies genetic link between inflammatory bowel disease and Parkinson’s disease
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have made a significant discovery, identifying genetic connections between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Parkinson’s disease. The study highlights the potential for joint therapeutic strategies to target these two challenging disorders. The team used advanced genomic analysis techniques to investigate the genetic overlap between IBD and PD. Their findings point to mutations in the LRRK2 gene as a common element linking both conditions and identify novel genes that are likely to be affected in people experiencing both IBD and PD.
Company and financial neuro-rehab news
Grant for development of First-in-Class drug for Alzheimer’s Disease
NeuroTherapia, an early-stage clinical pharmaceutical company, announced today that it has received a grant from the Alzheimer’s Association Part the Cloud program for the development of its first-in-class drug, NTRX-07, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The grant from the Alzheimer’s Association will help fund the clinical development of NTRX-07, which has shown promising results in preclinical studies and in a small cohort of AD subjects in a Phase 1 study for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. NTRX-07 is a novel drug that targets neuroinflammation, a key driver of Alzheimer’s disease, and has the potential to slow or even halt the progression of the disease.
Tevogen Bio Announces Up to $50 million in financing
Tevogen Bio Holdings, a clinical-stage specialty immunotherapy biotech pioneer developing off-the-shelf, genetically unmodified T cell therapeutics in oncology, neurology, and virology, has entered into a binding term sheet to secure up to $50 million of financing. This financing supports Tevogen Bio’s pursuit of expanding research and development efforts with a focus on continued clinical development of the company’s initial product, TVGN 489, from its ExacTcell technology platform.
Policy news
How should neurotechnology be regulated?
Hello future writes that, with the advent of artificial intelligence, neurotechnology, a field at the nexus of neuroscience and computing, is making rapid progress towards the goals of visualizing, deciphering, interpreting and even modulating the functioning of brains. Researchers are developing solutions to advance our understanding and treat a wide range of pathologies: among them the Melomind headset and Wimagine implants, which could help paraplegics to walk. Given their capacity to influence mental states, the development of these new tools has raised a host of ethical questions. In particular, the perspective that they may be used for non-medical purposes has highlighted an urgent need for regulation.
