For several years, the profile and capability of MindMaze in digital therapeutics has been building, with its impact and adoption around the world ever-increasing.
Its MindMotion GO and PRO devices are in use by thousands of patients around the world, both in clinical and at-home settings, and helped to redefine the neurorehabilitation market.
But now, MindMaze – recently backed by a $125million raise – has upped the ante on neurorehab even further with tits first UK strategic partnerships for MindPod, its breakthrough neurorestorative solution.
Hailed as having the potential to revolutionise brain repair, the MindPod is the world’s first immersive neuro-animation experience – a unique form of location-based digital therapeutic that focuses on brain repair through high intensity and high dose complex exploratory movements.
MindPod is built on the SMARTS II trial for sub-acute post stroke upper limb training, which showed that a high-dose, high-intensity approach which leverages the cognitive, motor and cardiovascular systems doubles the efficacy of conventional rehab.
MindPod involves a room-based immersive experience that enables prescribable digital therapeutic games for neurological conditions. The games use neuroanimation, devised by MindMaze’s specialist in-house team, to motivate patients into performing movements that leverage the cardiovascular, motor and cognitive systems that promote brain repair.
“This is a breakthrough technology because actually most solutions out there for people with neurological diseases like stroke, for example, are about rehab and teaching people how to live with impairment versus helping them to repair their brain and regain their core capacities,” says Dr Salim Ghoussayni, senior UK market development director at MindMaze.
“About 80 per cent of patients with stroke have upper limb impairment and roughly ten per cent of patients who have suffered a stroke fully recover from the disease – this leaves a lot of human potential on the table.
“The latest neuroscience – that which has guided the development of MindPod – proves that high-dose, high-intensity therapies in immersive environments that leverage the cognitive, motor and cardiovascular system makes full recovery more available.”
Based on technology developed in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, department of neurology, MindPod is now expanding via partnerships with select centres around the world.
It is in use in two UK launch in partnership with locations so far – the Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital and STEPS Rehabilitation, both long longstanding partners of MindMaze, who have integrated the prescribable technology into their workflows for stroke patients.
These partnerships represent the first time that the technology is going from the research context into a real-world clinical setting.
“We are working with both organisations as they are innovators, with a progressive approach to treatment and incorporating new technologies and learnings into the system,” says Dr Ghoussayni.
“They are long-standing partners of MindMaze and early adopters of our technology. Both are like-minded in the recognition that current patient outcomes are not enough – we can do better – and in their desire to revolutionise the status quo.
“We now have a steady stream of patients engaging in the program and are seeing positive early results.”
While currently the MindPod is able to support the progress of people affected by stroke, it is actively looking to expand that into other brain diseases and injuries, supported by its investment. Its MindMotion suite is used for conditions including including acute stroke, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis and ageing, MS and Parkinson’s.
“MindPod has successfully been piloted to enhance cognitive and functional wellness in a community setting for the healthy elderly, and an ongoing clinical trial is examining the improvement of motor and cognitive functions in Parkinson’s disease,” says Dr Ghoussayni.
“Fundamentally we strive to help people recover faster and better from neurological disease and injury, and to prevent the onset of these incidences through healthy brain actions, care and training throughout one’s life.”
