NR Times explores the latest developments in neurotechnology – from new rehab centres championing state-of-the-art neurotech to robot-led physiotherapy and more.

Spinal cord stimulation targets key features of progressive neurodegenerative disease

Spinal cord stimulation has been found to target the root cause of progressive loss of neural function in spinal muscle atrophy (SMA).

The intervention was shown to gradually reawaken functionally silent motor neurons in the spinal cord and improve leg muscle strength and walking in adults with SMA.

Early results from a pilot clinical trial in three human volunteers with SMA show that one month of regular neurostimulation sessions improved motoneuron function, reduced fatigue and improved strength and walking in all participants, regardless of the severity of their symptoms.

The study is the first to show that a neurotechnology can be engineered to reverse degeneration of neural circuits and rescue cell function in a human neurodegenerative disease.

Robot-led physical therapy for Parkinson’s Disease

A new paper explores how robot-led physical therapy (PT) offers a promising avenue to enhance the care provided by clinical exercise specialists (ES) and physical and occupational therapists to improve patients’ adherence to prescribed exercises outside of a clinic, such as at home.

Researchers conducted a user study in which 11 ES evaluated a novel robot-led PT system for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), focusing on the system’s perceived efficacy and acceptance.

The authors say that the findings reveal a broadly positive reception, which highlights the system’s capacity to augment traditional PT for the condition, enhance patient engagement, and ensure consistent exercise support.

They write: “We also identified two key areas for improvement: incorporating more human-like feedback systems and increasing the robot’s ease of use. This research emphasizes the value of incorporating robotic aids into PT for PD, offering insights that can guide the development of more effective and user-friendly rehabilitation technologies.”

Navigating the intersection of neurotechnology and cybersecurity

A new research paper has explored the intersection of neurotech and cybersecurity, highlighting that technological advances of neuroscience and cybersecurity have created a rapidly developing field and newer opportunities alongside challenges of ethics.

The authors write: “Some of the emerging ideas that include, brain computer interfaces (BCIs), neuroimaging technologies (EEG, fMRI) etc., cognitive biometrics have produced fresh solutions to enhance cybersecurity, privacy, autonomy and data protection.

“Neuroscience is already changing at a very fast pace in the cyber security field. The prospect of using brainwave-based authentication and cognitive biometrics is vast, a far superior way to traditional processes of identification such as passwords or fingerprints.

“…the concern for security using brain data presents few ethical questions. Neural data is associated with the disclosure of a person’s emotional, cognitive, and even behavioural states. The storage and use of such data without informed consent and protection measures give rise to violations of people’s privacy and abuse.”

New collaboration to accelerate long-term brain monitoring and neurostimulation

A new collaboration is aiming to translate innovative neurotechnology into real-world clinical solutions.

The collaboration between the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuro and BrainScape Medical will advance BrainScape’s Epios technology, which provides full-head subscalp EEG monitoring using minimally invasive electrodes, allowing for continuous brain activity recording. The system integrates both monitoring and neuromodulation, enabling real-time therapeutic interventions.

DARPA launches RESTORE neurotech programme

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched its new RESTORE programme which aims to optimise cognitive performance following sleep restriction commonly occurring in combat operations.

The organisation has said that the programme will test the potential for recent advancements in non-invasive neuromodulation technologies and understanding of the importance of sleep micro-architectures to increase sleep efficiency for maintenance of cognitive performance under sleep-restricted conditions commonly faced by warfighters.

Clinical trial of adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation system to be initiated

Newronika, the developer of an adaptive deep brain stimulation technology, has confirmed it has received an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The company has said that the IDE clearance paves the way to initiate a US clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its adaptive DBS system for patients with movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease.

According to Newronika, by using real-time feedback from patients’ brain signals, the adaptive DBS ensures that therapy is continuously optimised, taking a patient-tailored approach to improve outcomes and reduce side effects compared with traditional DBS systems.

Governing neurotechnology globally

A new paper explores the global regulation of neurotechnology, proposing solutions for enhancing institutional coherence in neurotechnology governance and highlighting the potential norm fragmentation in the global neurotechnology landscape as part of a future research agenda.

The authors write: “As neurotechnology continues its rapid advancement, the landscape of global governance is evolving into an intricate and multifaceted network of laws, regulations, rules, and guidelines that spans jurisdictions and regulatory domains.

“This increasing complexity arises from the diverse nature of neurotechnology applications, each falling under different legal and regulatory frameworks that have been established with specific purposes, operational rules, and distinct membership structures.

“This decentralised governance structure mirrors the fundamental anarchic nature of international law, characterised by the notable absence of a centralised legal authority with comprehensive enforcement powers. Within the dynamic and rapidly evolving field of neurotechnology, this fragmentation becomes particularly pronounced and consequential-no single international organisation possesses the comprehensive oversight authority necessary to govern and monitor the technology’s increasingly diverse applications and far-reaching implications.”.