technology

MindMaze’s animated ‘games,’ designed to aid in recovering motor and cognitive skills in people with neurological disabilities, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), will now be more widely available to patients worldwide. The brain technology company announced four new partnerships that will enable patients in Latin America, the Middle East,…

A conversational bot is being developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) to promote COVID-19 vaccinations among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are hesitant to take the vaccine. The project is meant to provide accessible digital health information about the vaccines to more vulnerable populations…

Subtle Medical announced the granting of a U.S. patent for its radiology software that uses artificial intelligence to improve the quality of medical imaging, with the potential to reduce the amount of gadolinium, a contrast agent, needed to one-tenth of its usual dose. Gadolinium, a heavy metal, is included in…

Wise Therapeutics intends to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of an anxiety management therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), following the positive results of a clinical trial. In addition to conducting a proof-of-concept study in MS, Wise tested its digital technique — called attention bias…

A machine learning-based method that examines walking abnormalities in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) could help identify patients who are at high risk of worsening symptoms, a study suggests. The study, “Predicting Multiple Sclerosis from Gait Dynamics Using an Instrumented Treadmill – A Machine Learning Approach,”…

ThermApparel is observing Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month by  celebrating the fourth anniversary of its cooling vest, designed for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and others with extreme sensitivity to heat. “Our mission was to provide customers with a state-of-the-art cooling vest that looks and feels great, and is extremely fashionable,” Kurtis…

As winner of the Lyfebulb and Bristol Myers Squibb Innovation Challenge in multiple sclerosis (MS), Evolution Devices will use the $25,000 in prize money to further develop a smart stimulation therapy that seeks to improve patient mobility. The innovative electrical device under development by Pierluigi Mantovani, co-founder…

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) and the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) are partnering with singer and actor Ben Platt, and dancer, choreographer and actor Courtney Platt, to launch MS in Harmony, the first digital music therapy for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). “We’re thrilled to have the chance…

BioLiberty, a Scottish biotech startup, has developed a robotic glove that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the hand grip in people with muscle weakness due to multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions. The technology may be closer to entering people’s homes now that the startup has secured support…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their nurses prefer the Sensoready autoinjector pen for subcutaneous self-administration of Kesimpta (ofatumumab) over other methods for injecting treatments, according to a survey. The survey was conducted by Novartis, which markets Kesimpta. Full findings from the survey will be presented at…

This week, I went to Tokyo, saw elephants up close in Africa, flew over New York, and watched a stage show, all in one day. How was it possible? Virtual reality (VR), of course! Being unable to play badminton in lockdown has forced…

“Open Circle Chat!”  Have you seen the reality TV series “The Circle”? It was first shown in the U.K. on Channel 4, and there’s now a U.S. version on Netflix. It is well worth a watch.  I started watching it because of the psychological…

C. Light Technologies announced it raised $2.5 million in seed funding to further develop a noninvasive eye tracking device that might diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases through measures made in a matter of seconds. Currently a prototype, the device captures neurodegeneration by mapping what is called fixational…

Telemedicine is a feasible and effective method of remote care for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, an Italian study suggests. The study, “Telemedicine during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic: A Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Outpatients Service Perspective,” was published in the journal Neurology International. The…

The recently launched BRAINTEASER project focuses on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to improve the care of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). An initiative of a European consortium, BRAINTEASER could benefit patients, caregivers, and clinicians by enhancing the ability to predict,…

Innodem Neurosciences received $6 million to advance its digital biomarker eye-tracking technology as a possible way of diagnosing and monitoring neurodegenerative diseases. The technology is now being tested in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Money raised by the Montreal-based startup came through a series A financing round led by Morningside Ventures.

Helius Medical Technologies has submitted its response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s request for more information about the company’s application for de novo classification and clearance of its portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) device to help treat walking difficulties in people…

What would happen if you switched off all of your devices for a day? Phones, tablets, laptops, TVs — all of them switched off. Could you do it? How would it feel? What would you do instead? My…

Motor rehabilitation using virtual reality (VR) may improve hand and arm function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review study. Evidence of its beneficial effect is, however, still preliminary, as most analyzed studies included small patient groups and some failed to show statistically significant improvements in upper…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may have cognitive defects that cannot be detected using conventional paper-and-pen tests but that can be assessed with computer-based tests, a new study shows. The findings also indicate that people with MS may be more susceptible to cognitive impairment when the brain has to address increased…

Smartphone Typing Patterns May Be Tool for Monitoring MS Progression, Study Finds This is an interesting concept that makes sense. Like the nine-hole peg test that some neurologists use to test finger dexterity, and like some apps that attempt to measure this, monitoring how quickly, and in what manner…

Typing patterns in daily smartphone use show clinically relevant changes over time in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but not among healthy individuals, a study shows. Notably, these variations often coincided with clinically meaningful changes in measures of disease activity, disability, and/or fatigue in MS patients with and without…

A software platform, called CogniSoft, allows for automated assessments of cognitive health in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The platform was described in the study “CogniSoft: A Platform for the Automation of Cognitive Assessment and Rehabilitation of Multiple Sclerosis,” published in the journal Computers. Cognitive impairment…

The Israeli Innovation Authority has awarded Owlytics Healthcare a $1.3-million grant to support the company’s development of wearable artificial intelligence (AI) technology that has the potential to improve multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies and better evaluate treatment efficacy in clinical studies. The device would be able to continuously…

A $25,000 contest is inviting entrepreneurs who have multiple sclerosis (MS), or take care of someone with MS, to pitch their non-therapeutic solutions for people with the neurodegenerative disorder. The virtual Innovation Challenge, which takes place in March 2021, is part of a collaboration between patient-powered platform Lyfebulb…

Helius Medical Technologies partnered with Breakthrough Health on a project focused on understanding how people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.S. evaluate the therapies at their disposal in terms of how well they help their ability to walk. The collaboration will take advantage of an MS companion application, called…

You’re stressed, and Halo may know it. Halo is a new Amazon service the company says can judge how stressed you are, in part by the tone of your voice. The service uses a wristband that connects to a mobile app. A small sensor in the band monitors temperature, heart…

The upcoming MSVirtual2020 meeting, the largest international conference dedicated to multiple sclerosis (MS) research, will focus on advances and breakthroughs made in MS causes and risk factors, diagnostic tools, treatment response biomarkers, technology, and therapies and interventions. The 8th joint meeting of the Americas Committee for Treatment and…

I’ve been walking with the Bioness L300 Go for about eight months, so it’s time to update everyone on how things are going. The L300 Go is a functional electrical stimulator (FES) that helps counter my foot drop. MS has damaged the nerve that carries the message telling my…

The idea doesn’t seem very appealing to me, but a company is seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a product that might help people with MS walk better by mildly stimulating the tongue. The portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) is a flat…