Smart contact lens and transparent heat patch for remote monitoring and therapy of chronic ocular surface inflammation using mobiles

Wearable electronic devices that can monitor physiological signals of the human body to provide biomedical information have been drawing extensive interests for sustainable personal health management. Here, we report a human pilot trial of a soft, smart contact lens and a skin-attachable therapeutic device for wireless monitoring and therapy of chronic ocular surface inflammation (OSI). As a diagnostic device, this smart contact lens enables real-time measurement of the concentration of matrix metalloproteinase-9, a biomarker for OSI, in tears using a graphene field-effect transistor. As a therapeutic device, we also fabricated a stretchable and transparent heat patch attachable on the human eyelid conformably. Both diagnostic and therapeutic devices can be incorporated using a smartphone for their wireless communications, thereby achieving instantaneous diagnosis of OSI and automated hyperthermia treatments. Furthermore, in vivo tests using live animals and human subjects confirm their good biocompatibility and reliability as a noninvasive, mobile health care solution.

Development and evaluation of a novel music-based therapeutic device for upper extremity movement training: A pre-clinical, single-arm trial

Restoration of upper limb motor function and patient functional independence are crucial treatment targets in neurological rehabilitation. Growing evidence indicates that music-based intervention is a promising therapeutic approach for the restoration of upper extremity functional abilities in neurologic conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke, and Parkinson’s Disease. In this context, music technology may be particularly useful to increase the availability and accessibility of music-based therapy and assist therapists in the implementation and assessment of targeted therapeutic goals. In the present study, we conducted a pre-clinical, single-arm trial to evaluate a novel music-based therapeutic device (SONATA) for upper limb extremity movement training. The device consists of a graphical user interface generated by a single-board computer displayed on a 32” touchscreen with built-in speakers controlled wirelessly by a computer tablet. The system includes two operational modes that allow users to play musical melodies on a virtual keyboard or draw figures/shapes whereby every action input results in controllable sensory feedback. Four motor tasks involving hand/finger movement were performed with 21 healthy individuals (13 males, aged 26.4 ± 3.5 years) to evaluate the device’s operational modes and main features. The results of the functional tests suggest that the device is a reliable system to present pre-defined sequences of audiovisual stimuli and shapes and to record response and movement data. This preliminary study also suggests that the device is feasible and adequate for use with healthy individuals. These findings open new avenues for future clinical research to further investigate the feasibility and usability of the SONATA as a tool for upper extremity motor function training in neurological rehabilitation. Directions for future clinical research are discussed.

Stage 1 Registered Report Manuscript: Effects of familiar music exposure on deliberate retrieval of remote episodic and semantic memories in healthy aging adults

Familiar music facilitates memory retrieval in adults with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. This raises the possibility that music can be used as a rehabilitative tool to aid memory abilities more generally. However, the mechanisms behind this effect, and its generality, are unclear because of a lack of parallel work in healthy aging. In particular, exposure to familiar music enhances spontaneous recall of memories directly cued by the music, but it is unknown whether such effects extend to deliberate recall more generally — e.g., to memories not directly linked to the music being played. It is also unclear whether familiar music cues boost recall of specific episodes versus more generalized semantic memories, or whether its effects are partly driven by domain-general mechanisms (e.g., improved mood). In the current study, we will examine the effects of familiar music on deliberate recall and differentiate potential underlying mechanisms. We will expose healthy adults ages 65-80 years old (N = 75) to familiar music clips from earlier in life, unfamiliar music clips, and non-musical audio clips across three study sessions. Immediately after each clip, we will assess free recall of remote memories for pre-selected events. Those memories will then be scored for episodic and semantic details using the Autobiographical Interview. We hypothesize that familiar music may enhance recall of specific events, such that participants will recall more episodic details after exposure to familiar music than unfamiliar music or non-musical audio. We will also test a competing hypothesis that familiar music may prompt more general recollections of periods of life, and thus will increase recall of semantic details in comparison with the unfamiliar music and no-music conditions. The results of this study will advance knowledge of the mechanisms by which music affects memory, with potential implications for the use of music as a therapeutic device for declining memory.

Development and Evaluation of a Novel Music-based Therapeutic Device for Upper Extremity Movement Training

Background Restoration of upper limb motor function and patient functional independence are crucial treatment targets for neurologic recovery. Growing evidence indicates that music-based intervention is a promising therapeutic approach for the restoration of upper extremity functional abilities in neurologic conditions. In this context, music technology may be particularly useful to increase the availability and accessibility of music-based therapy and assist therapists in the implementation and assessment of targeted therapeutic goals. In the present study, we describe and evaluate a novel music-based therapeutic device (SONATA) for upper limb extremity movement training. Methods The device consists of a graphical user interface generated by a single-board computer displayed on a 32” touchscreen with build-in sound speakers controlled wirelessly by a computer tablet. The system includes two operational modes that allow users to play musical melodies on a virtual keyboard or draw figures/shapes whereby every action input results in controllable sensory feedback. Four functional tests were performed with 21 healthy individuals (12 males, age 26.4 ± 3.5 years) to evaluate the device’s operational modes and main features, such as presenting sequences of audiovisual stimuli at a pre-defined order (Tasks 1–3), displaying different shapes (Task 4), and collecting response and movement data (e.g., reaction time, correct/incorrect responses, and timing data). Results The results indicate feasibility and ease of use of the device, as shown by the participants’ performance accuracy in all tasks. The findings also demonstrate the reliability of the data acquired automatically by the system as we replicated the results of previous research showing a decrease in reaction time in sequences repeatedly presented in relation to random sequences, and that sequence length, rate and complexity affect accuracy of newly learned action sequences. Conclusions This device is a feasible tool for upper limb extremity movement training and opens new avenues for the the systematic evaluation of the benefits of music technologies in clinical research.

The Encounter with the “Favourite Patient”

Starting off with a collection of clinical observations belonging to some psychoanalysts at the end of their career, we have tried to underline the specific of that which we call “authentic” in psychoanalysis (and analytic psychotherapy). The clinical sequences do not come from classic cures. They put into question the reciprocity and nature of the transfer, the therapeutic device, but more importantly showcase the significance of the “intersubjective relation” and of “implicit theories” of the patient and the therapist. These clinical encounters demonstrate the importance of technical reworking in the practice of psychoanalysis in the contemporary world.