A research study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (US) presents the results of screening 14 retired professional American football players with suspected CTE. Using a tau-sensitive brain imaging agent, [F-18]FDDNP, the California and Illinois-based researchers were able to detect the abnormal accumulation of tau and other proteins, in the distinct CTE pattern, in the brains of living subjects who had received, during their playing careers, multiple concussions and head trauma. Of the 14, one had been diagnosed with dementia, 12 with mild cognitive impairment and one with no symptoms. Previous studies, such as Robert... Continue Reading
Search Results for chronic traumatic encephalopathy
ELabNYC Pitch Day 2015
...A huge gap in the market, at-home, DIY measurement is not currently available. Testing strips cost about $1.60 for weekly testing. The company is targeting chronic kidney disease which affects 20 million patients in the US at a cost of $40 billion, and after that hypertension. What is even more remarkable is that it was developed on FFF funding of $10,000 and is seeking only $100,000 in an angel round to support a FDA 510(k) Pre De Novo filing. Summary. PainQX transforms a staple–the self-administered five or ten-face pain measurement scale–with EEG measurement. Changes in brain waves are processed through... Continue Reading
Chronic care management with telehealth (US)
Our readers, especially those in the US engaged with medical practices, might be interested in reading a two-part interview with Editor Donna by occasional TTA contributor Sarianne Gruber. We discuss the new model for Chronic Care Management (CCM) now included in what the Federal Government (CMS-Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) pays physicians for Medicare patient visits and services. Telehealth, or in CMS terms remote monitoring, can play a vital role in the provision of care coordination, assessment, documentation, patient access and facilitation of self-management as part of the care plan, culminating in better outcomes at lower cost. Published in... Continue Reading
Recent developments in digital health – RSM event report
...Ali Parsa, CEO of Babylon health; Bruce Hellman, CEO of uMotif; Elaine Warburton, CEO of QuantuMDx; and Dr Rob Beardall, Chief Medical Officer of NantHealth. Supporting these exciting presentations were several talks discussing more long-term opportunities. Insights from Professor Marco Viceconti, University of Sheffield, on the creation of a virtual physiological human were supplemented by engaging presentations delivered by Dr David Clifton, Oxford University, on the next generation of tools for health informatics and Professor Kazem Rahimi, Oxford University, on how to integrate digital health technologies to prevent and improve the management of chronic disease. Overall, the event provided a... Continue Reading
MWC 2015 Part II – a few companies, some of potential interest
...behaviour change. The number of apps and devices claiming to enable brain contact were impressive. The one I liked best was Brainno which seemed to fit loosely on your head and appeared to help you relax and get into a good frame of mind. Sadly there’s very little English on the website so it’s not helpful. Another much more professional-looking and sophisticated device was that provided by starstim which offers “multi-channel tCS with EEG”. It claims to help with chronic pain, post stroke rehab, depression, addictive disorders, learning & cognitive enhancement, and basic neuroscience research. Starlab is also active in... Continue Reading
Moving past the hype on mobile, wearables for consumer health
...facilities. And yes, of course in the Woulda World, 79 percent would be willing to use an undefined ‘wearable’ (watch? band? pendant? shirt?), mainly for tracking physical activity and symptoms. Contrast this to Ms Levy on wearables: don’t worry about them unless you’re responsible for thinking five years ahead. D3H hearts sink…. Let’s look at studies which look at where mHealth can do the most good–adherence to chronic disease management. The Journal of Medical Internet Research did a meta-study of 107 studies to evaluate the effectiveness of mHealth on the management of cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease and diabetes. Methods... Continue Reading
The NHS, tech, and the next 10 years – soapbox, event & call for posters
...in the delivery of care, through remote monitoring of those with chronic conditions, through remote consultation and through investigative & diagnostic aids. Particularly whilst the “doctor knows best” attitude persists in some quarters, so well described in the opening to Eric Topol’s recent book, it is hard to see how technology alone will yet deliver a stepchange in clinical efficacy. A greater hope is perhaps self-care, where technology – particularly through a combination of apps & wearables – can significantly change people’s lifestyle to one that is healthier. It needs political support though – squabbling about which party can deliver... Continue Reading
Widespread remote GP consultations getting closer; no shortage of implementation advice
...This paper, on BMJ Open, with lead author Chris Salisbury from Bristol University, describing the TECH model concludes: A conceptual model has been developed based on multiple sources of evidence which articulates how telehealth may best provide benefits for patients with chronic health conditions. It can be used to structure the design and evaluation of telehealth programmes which aim to be acceptable to patients and providers, and cost-effective. Undoubtedly the UK offers huge expertise in the digital health world, from concept to delivery, so it’s particularly cheering to see the DTI producing a very well designed export-oriented item on digital... Continue Reading
Chronic Illness Bingo, or the silly things we say to those with…
...Canadian contributor and genuine Heart Sister Carolyn Thomas is a handy (and funny) Bingo card with squares describing many of the ‘helpful’ things one may say to those with chronic illness, especially the invisible sort. As our readers are engaged with services and/or technologies which help others to manage chronic illness, or have lived through our own or those close to us, perhaps we are more sensitive…but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t educate, or be aware of the occasional silly remark we still make. Also read the linked article, ‘But you don’t look sick…” Let’s all play Chronic Illness Bingo!... Continue Reading
A tale of two chessboards
...my brother went to med school....and one very influential book since 1983 in many homes was the Balches' Prescription for Nutritional Healing that clarified verified nutritional support for many conditions and steered people away from many 'quack' or ineffective supplements. People are always going to do their own research, and the resources online are improving far beyond WebMD and Everyday Health. There are sites like Medivizor which now provide highly personalized information for chronic and serious medical conditions including clinical trials and treatment options. There are also special interest blogs and groups which are now easier to find than ever.... Continue Reading
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