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Table 1: Change in neuropsychological performance on the flame composite and the individual factors over two years in people with amnestic MCI (n = 548) (3)

Innovation in clinical trials in brain health: Computerised assessment and remote clinical trials

New clinical trials in brain health require innovative methodologies for targeted recruitment and longitudinal assessment. Professor Anne Corbett outlines how her team’s PROTECT portfolio can overcome challenges in trials of cognitive health interventions, offering solutions for intelligent trial design.
Cellular therapy. 3d illustration

The ethical and legal challenges of cell donation for brain organoid research

Ethical and legal concerns raised by the use of human biological materials, especially cells from adult donors and foetal tissues, must be thoroughly examined.
CorTec Brain Interchange Implant for Stroke Treatment

Stroke rehabilitation milestone, neurological conditions and future therapy

Martin Schuettler, Chief Technology Officer of CorTec GmbH, walks us through a groundbreaking achievement in the development of future therapies for neurological conditions like stroke.
Unhappy person having a headache after physical injury at home

Treatment of migraines: Minimally invasive surgery, regenerative approach and botox

Giorgio Pietramaggiori and Saja Scherer, MD, from the Global Medical Institute, describe a revolution in the treatment of migraines: minimally invasive surgery, a regenerative approach and Botox.
Abstract curly tendrils background.

Invasive electrical stimulation for stroke treatment

The CorTec Brain Interchange system is a potential tool to improve motor rehabilitation after stroke (Schuettler, 2023). Here, it is sketched how results from studies of other groups are combined to form CorTec’s vision of a new therapy and how first human data was collected to prove the systems therapy capability.
Digitally generated image, perfectly usable for all kinds of topics related to digital innovations, AI, data processing, network security or technology and computer science in general.

Flame system: Computerised cognitive assessment for remote brain health monitoring

Monitoring brain health, particularly cognition, in older adults is increasingly recognised as a significant priority for research, healthcare and broader public health. Find out here about the development and validation of the FLAME System, a computerised cognitive assessment for remote brain health monitoring.
Image: © peterschreiber.media | iStock

A guide for occipital neuralgia patients

Giorgio Pietramaggiori, MD, PhD and Saja Scherer, MD, from the Global Medical Institute, help us to understand occipital neuralgia in this detailed patient guide.
Figure 1: The central nervous system (CNS) is protected from mechanical injury by the skull (A) and from chemical noxious agents by the blood-brain barrier (B, C). The latter consists of the endothelial barrier in most parts of the CNS (B) and the tanycytic barrier in the hypothalamus (C). We develop gene vectors transducing endothelial cells and tanycytes to treat genetic and non-genetic diseases of the brain.

Bridging brain barriers for gene therapy

Reflecting on the challenges in treating brain diseases, this article explores ways to transduce the blood-brain barrier as well as the critical role of tanycytes as a target for gene therapy vectors.

AI healthcare research: Pioneering iSMART Lab

Dr Narges Armanfard, Professor, talks us through the AI healthcare research at McGill University which is spearheading a groundbreaking initiative – the iSMART Lab.
High Energy Consuming Processes in Neurons: Axonal transport Synaptic vesicle recycling, Neurotransmitter release/reuptake, ion pumping, organelle maintenance, protein turnover. therapeutics for neurodegenerative disease

Contribution of oxidative stress to neurodegenerative disease

Paul A. Hyslop, from Arkley BioTek Indianapolis, details an ongoing specific research approach to identify, characterize, and validate physiologically relevant neuronal targets of H2O2 in designing therapeutics for neurodegenerative disease progression.
close up shots of fire fighting equipment

Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy

Heather D. Hadjistavropoulos, Hugh C. McCall, and Jill A. B. Price, walk us through internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy tailored to public safety personnel.
colourful brain - dementia prevention

Dementia prevention: Raising awareness about dementia and risk reduction

We hear from Dr Anthony J. Levinson, who is part of an academic group developing evidence-based online resources to complement dementia prevention strategies and support care partners.
1: Electrode Model Module 2: Electrode Connector 3: Implant Module 4: Headpiece (Wireless Power Supply of Implant Module) 5: Communication Unit (Wireless Communication with Implant Module) A: Trigger Input B: PC Cable Connector C: Headpiece Cable Connector 6: Personal Computer (PC)

Preparing for a clinical study on implant-enhance stroke rehabilitation

Martin Schuettler, Chief Technology Officer at CorTec GmbH, addresses key questions around the development of the company’s innovative Brain Interchange System to support stroke rehabilitation therapy.
Figure 1. Two routes of brain infection by which SARS-CoV-2 may enter the hypothalamus and infect GnRH neurons. The virus attaches to and enters cells harbouring surface receptors such as ACE2 (black spanner-like symbol) or NRP1 (red cylinder). GnRH neurons exhibit both, which might increase their vulnerability. A. The haematological route, whereby the respiratory virus (white spheres) makes its way through the lungs into the bloodstream (dark red), and thence into the median eminence (ME), a part of the hypothalamus that harbours ”fenestrated” or leaky blood vessels. The virus may affect a number of different cell types locally, including GnRH neurons (green), whose secretory terminals approach the fenestrated vessels, and tanycytes (grey), whose processes control this secretion and also transport other bloodborne hormones and other substances into the brain. Once inside the brain ventricles (V), fluid-filled canals within the brain, the virus can also travel to other areas. B. The olfactory route, whereby the virus enters the olfactory bulb (OB) of the brain directly from the nose across the bony cribriform plate by means of nerve bundles or infected olfactory neurons and other cell types. GnRH neurons, which are born in the nasal epithelium during the embryonic period and migrate into the brain along these nerve bundles to their final positions, still maintain a connection with their birthplace, and could be thus be infected directly or indirectly through olfactory neurons or other cells. GnRH neurons also project to parts of the brain involved in higher functions such as cognition, potentially contributing to long-COVID symptoms such as “brain fog”.

Brain infection by SARS-CoV-2: Lifelong consequences

The WATCH team, founded to elucidate the role played by specialized brain cells called tanycytes in various physiological processes, has been investigating how and where the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects the brain, and some long-term consequences of this neuro-invasion.
Fig. 1 White matter hyperintensities (illustrated in blue) in a representative image of the human brain (A) are primarily found near ventricles. The neuronal cell bodies are found mainly in the cortex (gray matter) and myelinated neuronal axons in the white matter (B). Figure created using BioRender.

What is the link between white matter lesions and neurodegeneration?

Tara M. DeSilva from the Department of Neurosciences, Cleveland Clinic, examines the link between white matter lesions and neurodegeneration.
View of the synapses. Brain connections. Neurons and synapses. Communication and cerebral stimulus. Neural network circuit, degenerative diseases, Parkinson. 3d render

Treatments for ADHD: Can neurotherapies help treat children and adults?

Professor Katya Rubia from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neurosciences at King’s College London discusses the potential of non-invasive brain therapies, including neurofeedback, as treatments for ADHD.
Panther project, brain injury detection

Advanced brain injury detection and protection

The U.S.-based PANTHER program is pioneering a physics-based approach to TBI for quantitatively and deterministically linking the physics of a head insult to the resulting biological injury response. Christian Franck and Alice Lux Fawzi discuss.
Figure 1. A) A test for AI consciousness B) Integrating AI and biological hemispheres with C) a radically new brain-machine-interface that reads and writes from the surface of dissected axonal bundle (e.g., corpus callosum)

AI consciousness and neuroscientifically plausible “seamless” mind-uploading

Masataka Watanabe, Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo’s School of Engineering, examines a test for AI consciousness. He proposes it as part of a scientific approach to deciphering consciousness that leads to “seamless” mind uploading.

Options for stroke survivors: From stroke to conventional therapy

Discovery of novel treatment options for stroke survivors – requirements for implanted systems.
Futuristic laboratory equipment. Brainwave scanning research on computer screens

Exploring neurological & mental brain disorders in Europe

European Brain Council provides a very helpful update on Brain disorders in Europe – neurological and mental alike.

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