Welcome to your daily round-up of everything happening in the world of neurorehabilitation.
Research insights
New treatment could reverse brain deficits in MS and Parkinson’s
Results from phase two clinical trials at UT Southwestern Medical Center showed that a suspension of gold nanocrystals taken daily by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease, significantly reversed deficits of metabolites linked to energy activity in the brain and resulted in functional improvements. According to the authors, the findings could eventually help bring this treatment to patients with these and other neurodegenerative diseases, according to the authors. Read more.
Blood test can predict dementia ‘up to 15 years’ in advance
New research suggests profiles of proteins in the blood, known as biomarkers, can accurately predict dementia up to 15 years prior to clinical diagnosis. The research, published in the journal Nature Aging, used the largest cohort of blood proteomics and dementia to date, including blood samples from 52,645 participants recruited from UK Biobank. Read more.
Nanomedicine paves way for new spinal cord injury treatments
Researchers from Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano, have demonstrated that an innovative nanovector (nanogel) is able to deliver anti-inflammatory drugs in a targeted manner into glial cells actively involved in the evolution of spinal cord injury. Read more.
Stroke linked to increased risk of heart disease
New observational data suggest that those with a spinal cord injury (SCI) is are at a significantly greater risk for heart disease than that of the general non-SCI population, especially among those with severe disability. Read more.
$3.4 million funding for research on Alzheimer’s disease treatments
An Indiana University School of Medicine researcher is among the few neuroscientists investigating the potential adverse effects of treatments aimed at slowing cognitive decline in Azheimer’s disease, including brain swelling and bleeding.
Donna Wilcock, PhD, the Barbara and Larry Sharpf Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research in the Department of Neurology has received a three-year, $3.36 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to study why these edema and microhemorrhages occur in some patients.
Technology
New initiative to accelerate use of AI in neurodegenerative diseases
The 10,000 Brains Project has been launched to promote the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the fight against Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases. The organisation’s mission is to provide the leadership, expertise, and financial support needed to ensure that researchers can rapidly adopt this powerful new technology in the search for better diagnostics and treatments for patients in need.
£10m UK funding for tech to predict signs of stroke
As part of a £10 million funding package from the UK government to boost access to medical technology, eight innovative tech companies will be supported to bring their devices to market. One company is developing a blood test for Alzheimer’s Disease which means patients could be identified and treated earlier, meanwhile, a portable blood test, from Upfront Diagnostics, could help paramedics identify stroke patients more quickly.
First neural prosthetic could help restore memory
A new study highlights a promising avenue for cognitive enhancement technologies. A team of scientists from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Southern California (USC) have demonstrated the first successful use of a neural prosthetic device to recall specific memories.
The team delivered memory decoding model (MDM) electrical stimulation during visual recognition memory tasks, finding significant changes in how well people remembered things. When they looked specifically at participants with impaired memory function, almost 40% of them showed significant changes in memory performance.
Company updates
New collaboration aims to develop next-generation neural implants
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has joined forces with Precision Neuroscience Corporation (Precision) to advance the technology of neural implants for patients suffering from a variety of neurological disorders, including stroke, spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative diseases such as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Wandercraft’s self-balancing exoskeleton receives second FDA clearance
Wandercraft, the developer of the world’s first self-balancing robotic exoskeleton that enables people with limited mobility to stand up and walk again, has received FDA clearance for Atalante X for rehabilitation in individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) at levels T5 to L5.
