Latest news with #neurotech
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Sam Altman's Brain Chip Venture Is Mulling Gene Therapy Approach
The brain chip company that has drawn interest from Sam Altman and his artificial intelligence business OpenAI is exploring the idea of genetically altering brain cells to make better implants. The company, which has been referred to as Merge Labs, is looking at an approach involving gene therapy that would modify brain cells, according to people familiar with the plans who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter. In addition, an ultrasound device would be implanted in the head that could detect and modulate activity in the modified cells, these people said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
'Mind-Reading' Tech? Lara Logan Explores The Future Of BCIs
In Episode 30 of Going Rogue, Lara Logan sits down with Brandy Smith, an expert in computer interfaces and information security, to explore the fast-approaching frontier of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)—where technology could 'read' and interact with our thoughts. From wearable devices like Apple Watches and Fitbits to advanced neurotech in gaming, medicine, and defense, Smith explains how innovations in BCIs could transform lives—and potentially compromise them. The conversation raises urgent concerns about privacy, 'neurological warfare', and the ethics of 'mind-reading' technology. Logan and Smith also discuss: How technical standards will shape the industry's future Risks of data exploitation and the importance of digital privacy protections Potential for misuse in surveillance and control The responsibility of tech creators in safeguarding human autonomy This is a revealing and urgent discussion about a technology with enormous potential—and equally enormous risks—at the very intersection of innovation and human freedom.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Neuromodulation: rewiring healthcare?
Once niche, the field of neuromodulation is now accelerating toward real-world breakthroughs for conditions such as tinnitus, substance use disorder, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. According to a report by GlobalData, the global neurological devices market will reach a valuation of $20.9bn by 2033, up from $12.5bn in 2023. At Biomed Israel 2025: the 23rd National Life Science & Technology Week, taking place in Tel Aviv between 20 and 22 May, Serendipity Impact VC co-founder and managing partner Avi Yaron will give a keynote during a session titled 'Rewiring the Brain: Breakthroughs in Neurotech and Neuromodulation'. Moderated by Barry Greene, CEO of Sage Therapeutics; and Iris Grossman, chief therapeutics officer at Eleven Therapeutics, the session will also feature a keynote from Tanya Fischer, chief medical officer at Tenvie Therapeutics and presentations from companies such as NeuroSense Therapeutics and BrainValue NeuroTech. Diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 26, Yaron embarked on a self-advocacy quest to bring into being the neurotech required to help save his life – a story he shared in a TEDx talk in 2015. Yaron's investment fund's rationale is to invest in early technologies to transform mental and neuro health, with his personal journey having led him to the belief that in keeping people healthy, the future of medicine will be driven by personalised, predictive, preventative systems in which neuromodulation devices have a critical role to play. Medical Device Network sat down with Yaron to gain more insight into the value in neuromodulation and what the future holds for treating a range of neurological conditions. Avi Yaron (AY): Let's say that I have a headache. While I can take a pill to no longer 'feel' the headache, the headache is still there. The pharmacological element just shuts down the neurotransmitter so I won't feel it, but the pain is still there; and once I stop taking the pill, the headache and the pain being felt, may return. Unlike pharma, advanced neuromodulation technologies have the potential, either to completely cure or at least allow a person to reach a state of remission. Many neurodegenerative conditions, from depression and anxiety to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, take over the person. Their life is no longer their life, but the life of their disease. By using neuromodulation to address their conditions, they are given back their lives and don't face the potential of being reliant on drugs for the rest of their lives as a means of eliminating their symptoms. I'm not against drugs. For certain conditions that we still don't fully understand, like schizophrenia, pharmaceuticals allow individuals to lead a normal life. Rather, I'm for people having the potential to take advantage of the new developments gradually moving towards becoming a reality, as an alternative to pharmaceuticals. As with most things, an evolution is assisted by many small revolutions. Neuromodulation has been an option for at least 30 years, but it is nowadays becoming a lot more advanced. If you look at Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS), for instance, it is possible to effectively eliminate epileptic seizures before they occur. With Parkinson's, neuromodulation approaches can delay its onset. In my view, this is just the beginning of the evolution being seen in this field. I am genuinely convinced that neuromodulation represents the next frontier of medicine. AY: Today, more people are developing more diseases at a younger age. I believe that it's always good to have a plethora of potential treatments, so a physician can decide on the most appropriate approach to an individual's needs. On the acute side, it may be best to use pharmacology, but on the chronic side, where pharma typically fails, technology can be used instead. In turn, the rise of other technologies such as AI allows for the ability to more easily crunch big data and bring greater personalisation to patients with neurological conditions. It makes no sense that males and females, youngsters and elders, or those with dark or light skin, receive the same treatment approach to their neurological condition. There is no one-size-fits-all. With neuro technology such as closed-loop neuromodulation, a technique that monitors brain activity or physiological signals and dynamically adjusts brain stimulation parameters in real-time, more personalised treatment modalities can be determined. And with the ability of such technologies to gather more information, in sync with AI, this not only empowers the patient, but it can also help direct them to the right treatment and the right physician. AY: One of the companies that Serendipity has invested in enables minimally invasive approaches to treat forms of epilepsy that were considered untreatable before. This example provides an integrative use of various technologies that serve medicine and serve mankind to make treatment better, more accurate, more personalised, less invasive and less traumatic. In turn, with what will hopefully be a wider availability of technologies like this in future, I believe that, knowing these non-invasive approaches are available, that people who were afraid of treatment before would now go and get diagnosed and therefore receive treatment earlier. In time, developments of this sort will hopefully not only reduce costs to healthcare systems but also help reduce individual suffering. AY: Startups here are leaner and often take less time and money to reach a certain result compared to those in other regions. I think that another huge advantage of Israeli startups is that they have to go global from day one. In my view, this outward-looking perspective is allowing the Israeli ecosystem to flourish in the field of neuromodulation. "Neuromodulation: rewiring healthcare?" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
