What’s new in brain health, neurotechnology and artificial intelligence
Welcome to a new edition of SharpBrains’ e‑newsletter, featuring a life well lived, the latest news on brain health and innovation, and some brain teasers in honor of International Brain Teaser Month.
#1. Thank you, Sharon. We won’t. “Never stop wondering” — Sharon Begley, science journalist, RIP
#2. Write injuries in sand, kindnesses in ____________.
Milk the cow, but do not pull off the ___________.
Enjoy these 5 US and 7 international proverbs to test your cognitive skills.
#3. Beware the snakes as you tease your mind with this optical illusion.
#4. The blood-brain barrier is hopefully hard at work: Can COVID-19 coronavirus “invade” human brain tissue? (Quick answer: evidence so far is mixed)
#5. Yes, a bit circular…but that’s the point: To manage stress, sleep better. To sleep better, keep a good routine and manage stress.
#6. Excellent article for those interested in state-of-the-art neurotech. The Promise of Big Data Imaging for Mental Health
#7. We’d much rather see the NIH or a fitness or nutrition company sponsor such a promising study, rather than a pharma company, but this is great news anyway: The new frontier in neurocognitive monitoring and dementia screening: the Apple Watch
#8. “I am encouraged by Cognito’s innovative approach,” said Allan Levey, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Emory University and Director of the Emory Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. “This strategy translating recent advances in non-invasive modulation of brain activity with sensory stimulation with light and sound has the potential to be an urgently needed safe, non-invasive, and effective treatment for millions of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.” Neurostimulation device GammaSense by Cognito Therapeutics secures FDA Breakthrough Device Designation to explore Alzheimer’s Disease applications
#9. This can help a ton of people, given that “Currently, video EEG is the gold standard for seizure detection, but it requires a hospital stay, is often costly, and can be stigmatizing.” Study: Wearable sensors and machine learning may well (one day) help detect a broad range of epileptic seizures
#10. “While 66% accuracy may not sound high, it is an improvement on current accuracy levels of diagnosis by human clinicians, particularly general physicians who aren’t trained in psychiatry.” Machine learning study finds standardized brain scan biomarker to detect depression with 66% accuracy
#11. FDA releases first Artificial Intelligence (AI) regulatory plan to promote responsible digital health innovation. Two of the priorities are the “issuance of draft guidance on a predetermined change control plan (for software’s learning over time)” and “Developing methods to evaluate and improve machine learning algorithms.” Both are crucial given that data-driven innovation is in flux by definition, unlike drug-driven innovation.
Best regards, stay healthy,
The SharpBrains Team
