Nordic Life Science 1
SCIENCE // HOT TOPIC Easing the ability to cross
the blood brain barrier opens a possible floodgate of previously unavailable brain treatments. “Alzheimer’s is currently used as a blanket term when in fact, like oncology, there is a multiplicity of manifestations and stages. What we study in my lab are metabolic associations with Alzheimer’s, such as mitochondrial dysfunction and transfusion, and potential similarities and overlap between Alzheimer’s and diabetes.” New approaches The quest for greater CNS certainty and understanding has yielded other interesting approaches, for example the study of “super-agers”, people aged 80 or older who test as well as, or even better, than young people in memory, cognition, and attention functions. These studies expand the understanding of core memory and other CNS functions. Digital interventions are having an impact on CNS disease treatments as well. For example the Danish Brain+’s CST Assistant, a dementia treatment developed in conjunction with VIA University College, is a collection of cognitive stimulation therapies delivered digitally. Nordic Brain Tech addresses migraines via Brain Twin, a digital headache diary providing important data for 80 | NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG diagnosis and follow up of headache conditions, and is also developing a remote biofeedback medical device for the treatment of migraines. T he field of CNS disease has always been characterized by stops and starts. While that’s likely not to change, and magic bullets are likely few and far between, the incremental advancements, pace of innovation, and creative approaches give rise to great optimism for the near-term and long-term future of CNS disease treatments. NLS