What's happening in neurotech: funding, trials, products, research and policy from the last 14 days, each summarised by reccy with a link to the source.
216 stories in the last 14 days
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Sign inA study found that acetaminophen exposure did not affect the size, structure, viability, synaptic puncta density, or cell composition of cortical organoids modeling late first-trimester development. The findings align with large-scale studies finding no increased autism likelihood associated with acetaminophen use during pregnancy.
ARIA has publicly committed more than $450 million to autism research, including about $300 million announced since June. Its six research hubs focus on biology, therapies and clinical trials, with an emphasis on collaboration and data-sharing.
The Feinstein Institutes’ seventh Bioelectronic Medicine Summit brought together nearly 300 researchers, clinicians and industry experts to discuss device-based therapies, neurotechnology and patient outcomes. The event featured keynote talks, research presentations and recognition of three clinical trial participants.
An analysis of MRI and cognitive data from nearly 3,500 young people linked changes in brain circuits and structure to adolescent anxiety and visuospatial abilities. Researchers say further study is needed to determine whether these imaging markers can guide individual care.
A study found that musicians’ sound-location judgments were less influenced by conflicting visual flashes than nonmusicians’ judgments, apparently because musicians had a lower expectation that the signals came from the same source. The difference was modest, and the study cannot establish that musical training caused it.
A study of 142 adults found that higher creative drawing scores were associated with white matter connectivity across brain pathways involved in visual processing, movement and communication between brain networks. The findings do not establish that white matter causes greater creativity.
An analysis of nearly 3,500 adolescents linked anxiety with alterations in brain networks involving the cerebellum, amygdala, and thalamus. The differences were detectable by ages 11–12 and were associated with lower visuospatial task performance.
People who became blind early in life showed better pitch discrimination than sighted peers, linked to reduced internal noise in cortical processing. Sighted people with extensive musical training showed a similar pattern.
Researchers at IIT Guwahati and IIT Kharagpur developed a light-sensitive artificial synapse that can sense, store and process visual information. The device uses 500 times less energy than conventional image-processing systems, and its response strengthens with repeated light signals.
ABILITY Neurotech has conducted its first human neural recordings during brain tumor surgery at TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar. The study will involve up to five patients and is intended to test signal acquisition before later neural-decoding work.
A small, double-blind pilot study found that repeated low doses of LSD improved sustained attention and reduced attention lapses in women, but not men. Researchers say larger prospective studies are needed to investigate sex-related factors and individual differences.
A small study found that hippocampal CA1 reactivation after learning was associated with stronger memory for a word list’s general theme but weaker memory for details such as the speaker’s voice. The findings suggest memory replay may trade episodic detail for semantic gist.
The Feinstein Institutes’ seventh Bioelectronic Medicine Summit brought nearly 300 experts together to discuss device-based therapies, neuromodulation and brain-computer interfaces. The event also recognized three clinical trial participants whose experiences have advanced neurotechnology research.
Multisite direct current stimulation reduced TDP-43 protein aggregates and improved motor function in two ALS mouse models. The findings support further development of Pathmaker Neurosystems’ MyoRegulator device, which is being tested in clinical trials.
Researchers identified CCNB1IP1 as a gene whose expression increased during primate brain evolution. Raising its expression in mice induced cortical folds and improved learning and memory in the modified animals.
Spiro Medical treated its first patient in the PULSAR feasibility study, which will evaluate its implantable neuromodulation system in up to 30 people with severe, uncontrolled asthma. The study is being conducted under an FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption.
Cyprus’ House Human Rights Committee chairman condemned Direct Democracy MPs for a video saying colleagues had not understood a debate on neurotechnology. The MPs rejected claims they breached parliament’s code of conduct, as members also debated whether to create a special AI committee.
Parasym announced UK-wide distribution of Nurosym, its CE-marked wearable vagus nerve stimulation device. The company says its AVNT™ technology is supported by more than 60 completed clinical studies.
Karl Deisseroth says his research will continue to focus on how brain cells coordinate activity to create thoughts, emotions and mental states. He sees computational and AI methods as potential tools for uncovering the principles behind those interactions.
Chinese researchers developed an implanted brain-computer interface that has helped a visually impaired man recognize and write characters, grasp objects and navigate obstacles. They aim to improve its ability to reproduce colour, depth and detail.
In 1926, Edgar Douglas Adrian and Yngve Zotterman showed that individual neurons communicate through sequences of spikes, with information encoded in their firing frequency. Their findings established the neural code and helped shape modern neuroscience.
BCI companies are offering salaries of up to 1.5 million yuan a year as financing and commercialization expand hiring. Demand is shifting from research specialists toward interdisciplinary talent able to support engineering, clinical trials, and production.
Nurosym released a guide to ear-based vagus nerve stimulation and autonomic regulation, describing its wearable device and Parasym’s AVNT technology. The company says the technology is supported by clinical research and that the device is CE-marked in Europe.
Tether Evo reports three peer-reviewed studies on cross-subject brain-signal decoding for speech, vision, and music. The findings suggest models can adapt across people, potentially reducing the calibration needed for future BCIs.
Researchers found that patterns of activity across groups of hippocampal neurons encode word meanings and how they vary with context. The neural patterns aligned with language-model representations, including measures of word polysemy.
A new OECD report examines how neurotechnology companies handle neural data and identifies gaps in existing regulation. It recommends clearer data classifications, regulatory pathways, data-sharing infrastructure, international cooperation, and tailored rules for emerging technologies.
Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel won the Nobel Prize for work on optogenetics, which uses light-sensitive proteins to control nerve cells. The technique has transformed brain research and is being tested as a potential treatment for retinal degeneration.
The article describes wearable neuromodulation, focusing on non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation and the Nurosym device. It highlights ongoing research and cautions that findings depend on specific devices and study conditions.
Researchers propose that staying awake at night may increase negative emotions and impulsive behavior, with studies reporting overnight peaks in suicide and homicide risk. The causes remain unclear, and some research does not support the hypothesis.
MintNeuro raised $5 million in a round led by Odyssey Ventures to scale its neural-device chip platform, deliver pre-production chips to partners and expand operations in the US.