Tag: Technology

Brain-computer interfaces without the mess

It sounds like science fiction: controlling electronic devices with brain waves. But researchers have developed a new type of electroencephalogram (EEG) electrode that can do just that, without the sticky gel required for conventional electrodes. Even better, the devices work through a full head of hair. The researchers report the flexible electrodes, which could someday

New AI technology for advanced heart attack prediction

Technology developed using artificial intelligence (AI) could identify people at high risk of a fatal heart attack at least 5 years before it strikes, according to new research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The findings are being presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Paris and published in the European

Using game technology to treat cognitively impaired children in Africa

Using a game designed for sub-Saharan Africa, Michigan State University researchers are rehabilitating children who suffer from cognitive impairment after surviving life-threatening diseases such as malaria and HIV. Known as Brain Powered Games, the project is the first of its kind, now providing both rehabilitation and computer-based assessment for African children. “The Brain Powered Games

Salk scientists advance ultrasound technology for neurological therapy

The emerging technology of sonogenetics—a technique where cells are controlled by sound—offers the potential to one day replace pharmaceutical drugs or invasive surgical treatments for neurological conditions like epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease or posttraumatic stress disorder. The Salk Institute scientist who pioneered the idea of using ultrasonic waves to stimulate neurons and coined the term “sonogenetics”

New technology could help people with paralysis to speak again

Recent research led by Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, finds that the brain generates speech sounds in a similar way to how it controls hand and arm movements. The finding brings closer the day when people who are paralyzed — such as individuals with “locked-in syndrome” — will be able to speak through a “brain-machine

Wearable devices: Useful medical insights or just more data? A new review looks at the booming industry of measuring ‘every breath you take and every move you make’

Wearable devices are increasingly bought to track and measure health and sports performance: from the number of steps walked each day to a person’s metabolic efficiency, from the quality of brain function to the quantity of oxygen inhaled while asleep. But the truth is we know very little about how well these sensors and machines

‘Smart stent’ detects narrowing of arteries

For every three individuals who have had a stent implanted to keep clogged arteries open and prevent a heart attack, at least one will experience restenosis — the renewed narrowing of the artery due to plaque buildup or scarring — which can lead to additional complications. Now, a team led by UBC electrical and computer

New lab technology could reveal treatments for muscle-wasting disease

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have developed new cell-based technologies which could help improve understanding of the muscle-wasting disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and test potential drugs for the disease. DMD is a genetic disorder causing muscle degeneration and weakness, caused by an absence of the protein dystrophin. DMD usually affects only boys,

Consumer sleep technology is no substitute for medical evaluation

According to a position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), consumer sleep technology must be cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and rigorously tested if it is intended to diagnose or treat sleep disorders. Consumer sleep technologies are non-prescription devices such as wearables and mobile apps that are directly marketed