Brain health
The UK has launched an £80m dementia tech challenge to test nine digital technologies aimed at speeding up and improving diagnosis in NHS settings. The Dementia Challenge includes AI-enabled clinical decision support, remote cognitive assessments, faster MRI scans and home-monitoring technology. Diagnosis can take more than a year, with around 60 per cent of people [...]
Researchers warn social media may be driving healthy people to take Alzheimer’s blood tests, risking anxiety over markers that may never lead to dementia. Blood-based biomarker tests such as p-tau217 and p-tau181 detect biological signs associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive brain disorder and the leading cause of dementia. The tests look for abnormal proteins [...]
Brain scans have identified two previously unreported psychosis subtypes, suggesting structural differences may reflect separate illness mechanisms. The findings suggest that variation in psychosis symptoms, treatment responses and long-term outcomes could reflect separate illness mechanisms and developmental pathways. Researchers analysed structural brain scans from 381 people diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders or bipolar disorder with [...]
London surgeons have performed what health officials described as the first successful AI-assisted brain tumour operation, helping save a patient's sight. The surgery was carried out in May on 48-year-old Rhys Hibbert, who had an 11mm tumour on his pituitary gland and faced losing his sight without an operation, health officials said. During the procedure, [...]
A psilocybin study has found the psychedelic reorganises brain activity into patterns linked to people's experiences and surroundings. Researchers used brain imaging to examine 62 healthy adults using psilocybin during rest, meditation, music listening and movie watching. The findings suggest the drug disrupts the usual organisation of brain networks, while also producing new patterns that [...]
Remepy has raised US$36m to advance its Parkinson's treatment into Phase III trials and extend its model of pairing medicines with therapeutic software. The Series A round, co-led by Merck KGaA's M Ventures and O.G. Venture Partners, brings the startup's total funding to US$62m. Existing and new backers include NFX, Vine Ventures, Qumra Capital, TechAviv, [...]
Health tech start-up Souuthe has secured £75,000 to develop dementia tech for people living with dementia and receiving palliative care. The Saltburn-by-the-Sea business has been awarded an Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award, with founder Lou Willis-Keeler selected as one of 61 entrepreneurs from a record 1,590 applicants nationwide. The business is developing calming technology [...]
Brain biomarkers may predict Parkinson’s disease changes before deterioration becomes visible in conventional clinical assessments, a study suggests. Measuring changes in brain function over time remains difficult, as clinical evaluations mainly capture signs that can be observed during appointments. Changes in how patients feel and function in daily life can provide further evidence of disease [...]
Thousands of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in England will be offered fampridine on the NHS to help them walk more easily and live more independently. The twice-daily pill is the first medicine designed specifically to improve walking in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). NHS England said the treatment will now be routinely available. [...]
A major UK dementia blood test study has recruited its 1,000th participant as researchers examine whether it could improve NHS diagnosis. The milestone was reached at ReMind UK in Bath, one of 33 recruitment sites supporting the READ-OUT study. The study is co-led by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and is investigating whether blood-based biomarkers [...]
