Tag: Neurology

Artificial Neuron Uses Ions Like the Real Thing

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have developed artificial neurons that demonstrate 15 of the 20 characteristics of biological neural cells and can communicate with natural neurons in the body. The researchers call their device the “conductance-based organic electrochemical neuron,” or c-OECN, and it is based on materi (Read more...)

Hydrogel Scaffold Makes a Living Electrode

A team of researchers at the Harvard Wyss Institute have developed a soft, hydrogel scaffold that can function as a living electrode for brain-computer interface applications. The researchers used electrically conductive materials and created a porous and flexible scaffold using a freeze-drying process. They then seeded the scaffold with human neur (Read more...)

Non-Invasive Spinal Modulation for Cerebral Palsy

SpineX, a medtech company based in California, has developed the Spinal Cord Innovation in Pediatrics (SCiP) device, a non-invasive spinal cord neuromodulation technology that is intended to treat children with cerebral palsy. The technology is designed to be used in conjunction with activity-based neurorehabilitation therapy with the goal of impro (Read more...)

Flexible Catheter for Brain Access Bioinspired by Wasps

Researchers at Imperial College London in the UK have developed a flexible catheter system that is designed to enable access and treatment of the deep areas of the brain. At present, catheters intended for such applications can suffer from rigidity, making it difficult to access the brain safely and effectively. This latest technology includes a [& (Read more...)

Wearable EEG Patch Measures Brain Activity

Researchers at Osaka University in Japan engineered a wearable electroencephalography (EEG) device that can measure brain activity, potentially letting clinicians monitor conditions such as depression or dementia. At present, assessing brain activity requires a trip to a facility with bulky and expensive equipment, making long-term monitoring diffi (Read more...)

Scientists Teach Neurons to Play Pong

Scientists at Cortical Labs in Melbourne, Australia, along with international collaborators, have developed “DishBrain”, which is essentially a collection of neurons in a dish that have demonstrated learning and, incredibly, can play the classic computer game Pong. The findings could create exciting new opportunities to understand the h (Read more...)

Screening App to Diagnose Parkinson’s, COVID-19 from Voice

Researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, have developed an app that is intended to provide early diagnosis for Parkinson’s disease and severe COVID-19. The artificial intelligence-powered technology works by analyzing voice recordings, having previously been trained to recognize the vocal hallmarks of these diseases by listenin (Read more...)

Nanoprinted Microelectrode Array for Brain Computer Interfaces

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have used a nanoscale 3D printing technique that allows them to customize the microelectrode arrays used for brain computer interfaces. The approach is called Aerosol Jet 3D printing, and the researchers used it to create three-dimensional microelectrode arrays that can be customized for particular patient (Read more...)

Video Games to Improve Cognition in Older Adults

Researchers at the University of California San Francisco have developed a suite of video games that have been designed to improve cognition in older adults who are otherwise healthy. The games aim to recreate common activities, such as banging a drum or driving a car. They also include a sophisticated algorithm that automatically adjusts the [&hel (Read more...)

AI Device Monitors Breathing to Diagnose Parkinson’s

Researchers at MIT have developed an AI system that can diagnose Parkinson’s disease and track its progression, simply by monitoring someone’s breathing patterns as they sleep. The device looks like an internet router and can be mounted on the wall in a bedroom. It emits radio waves and then a neural network analyzes the reflected [&hel (Read more...)

EEG Caps for Brain Organoids

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have created tiny EEG caps for brain organoids. The team was inspired by full size EEG caps that are used to measure brain activity in human patients. Previously, the Hopkins researchers were forced to use flat electrode arrays that were originally designed to take recordings from cell monolayers, but applyin (Read more...)

Magnetic Activation of Specific Brain Circuits

Scientists at Rice University developed a system to wirelessly and rapidly activate specific brain circuits using magnetic fields. The technology has been developed in fruit flies, a common experimental animal, but the researchers hope that it could help in understanding the brain and to develop new treatments for neurological disorders in humans. (Read more...)

Brain-Computer Interfaces at Home: Interview with Dr. Solzbacher of Blackrock Neurotech

Blackrock Neurotech, a medtech company based in Salt Lake City, has pioneered an array of brain-computer interface technologies. Medgadget last spoke with Blackrock Neurotech a year ago about their thought-to-text brain computer interface, but since the company signed an agreement with a research institution to develop portable brain computer inter (Read more...)

Imaging Technique Shows Gene Expression in Real Time

A team at the University of Minnesota developed a new technique that lets them view gene expression in the brains of live mice in real time. The approach relies on two-photon excitation microscopy, specialized imaging processing techniques, and genetically modified mice that express mRNA that naturally includes a fluorescent protein. Using the meth (Read more...)

Diamond Sensor for Smaller, Portable MEG Scanners

Researchers at RMIT University in Australia have developed a diamond sensor that can measure magnetic fields up to 10 times more sensitively than current sensors. The breakthrough could lead to a new generation of magnetoencephalography (MEG) scanners that are small and portable, and can function at room temperature. The researchers envisage that t (Read more...)

Soft Bioresorbable Implant Controls Pain by Cooling Nerves

A team of engineers at Northwestern University led by John Rogers, the person responsible for many advances in flexible electronics, created a drug-free implant that can control pain by cooling nerves. The soft implant is intended to be wrapped around a nerve during surgical procedures that would typically involve opioid-based analgesia afterwards. (Read more...)

Smart Jumpsuit Tracks Motor Development in Children

Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland created a smart jumpsuit that can track toddler movements. The idea is to closely monitor motor development and identify any issues early, allowing for earlier interventions. Issues with motor development can be related to wider neurodevelopmental problems, and so tracking a young child’s a (Read more...)