Fusing Cinematic Motion-Capture and AI to Treat Movement Disorders

Researchers at the University College London (UCL) and Imperial College London are exploring how motion-capture technology and AI can work in tandem to treat disorders that impair movement. The two-pronged approach utilizes an Animazoo IGS-180 motion capture suit to gather data about patient mobility which surveys the body more quickly and efficiently than the standard method of a neurologist checking individual patients themselves. This information …

Testing DMT to Treat Depression

Psychoactive drug DMT (aka N, N-Dimethyltryptamine) is known for its life-altering, metaphysical trips, but scientists are now looking into its potential to treat depression. Small Pharma, a Canadian drug development company, is working on combining DMT with regular therapy to ease depression in treatment-resistant patients. In September, the company completed phase one of clinical trials—the first company to do so—by testing DMT on volunteers. Now, …

Scientists are Growing Mini Brains to Learn How to Treat Fatal Diseases

According to the scientific journal Nature Neuroscience, researchers from the University of Cambridge are growing miniature human brain models to study neurological disorders, like the motor-neuron diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. By sampling a culture of skin cells, reverting them to stem cells and then reprogramming them into specific organs or tissues, researchers can grow organoids that emulate the diseases that they’re studying. …