Brain/ Mental Health
Hopes and Questions raised by Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi (lecanemab)
The FDA has approved Leqembi, the first disease-modifying treatment for early-stage Alzheimer’s and a precursor condition, mild cognitive impairment. Medicare has said it will pay for the therapy. Medical centers across the country are scrambling to finalize policies and procedures for providing the medication to patients, possibly by summer’s end or early autumn. It’s a…
Read MoreNeurotech, neuroethics and brain data in context: Are “neurorights” the way to mental privacy?
Neurotechnologies – devices that interact directly with the brain or nervous system – were once dismissed as the stuff of science fiction. Not anymore. Several companies are trying to develop brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, in hopes of helping patients with severe paralysis or other neurological disorders. Entrepreneur Elon Musk’s company Neuralink, for example, recently received…
Read MorePrice tag for a questionable Alzheimer’s treatment: $109,000 per patient, per year. Unclear yet: For how many years?
The real costs of the new Alzheimer’s drug, Leqembi — and why taxpayers will foot much of the bill (CBS News): The first drug purporting to slow the advance of Alzheimer’s disease is likely to cost the U.S. health care system billions annually even as it remains out of reach for many of the lower-income seniors…
Read MoreJust-published Apple patent signals aim to measure brain activity using AirPods sensor system
Apple Invents a next-generation AirPods Sensor System that could measure Biosignals and Electrical Activity of a User’s brain (Patently Apple): Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to a next-generation of AirPods Sensor System wherein the housing and tips of AirPods could include a number of active and…
Read MoreReading for pleasure during childhood may lead to higher brain/ cognitive development and mental well-being during adolescence
Early childhood is a critical period for brain development, which is important for boosting cognition and mental wellbeing. Good brain health at this age is directly linked to better mental heath, cognition and educational attainment in adolescence and adulthood. It can also provide resilience in times of stress. But, sadly, brain development can be hampered…
Read MoreVirtual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) accounts for over 30% of NHS mental health treatments — up from 10% in 2017
Concern as a third of NHS mental health treatments shift online (The Guardian): An Observer analysis of data from private providers, cross-checked against NHS figures, reveals around one in three mental health treatments in England are delivered online, up from one in five in 2019, and one in 10 in 2017. Patients with mild to…
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