NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule Depression causes long-lasting feelings of sadness and loss of interest. A new study suggests that simple, game-like tests may help doctors identify patients with depression more quickly. NIH-funded researchers tested two video games as screening tools for depression. The study enrolled healthy people and ones with moderate to severe depression. Participants were asked to play two video games. One game was designed to test when a person no longer found playing the game rewarding. It had participants collect apples from trees. Each time they harvested a tree, the tree produced fewer apples. They could choose to stay at the same tree or move to a new one. Those with depression moved on to harvest new trees sooner than those without it. How soon the participants moved on was tightly linked to the severity of their depression symptoms. The second game tested how people adjusted their decisions when a situation changed. Participants ranked snack food items based on how much they would pay for them. The snack items were then presented with different combinations to see how participants’ rankings changed. Healthy participants changed how they rated the items depending on what other choices they had. But participants with depression did not. “Our behavioral game gives us clues to what is happening in the brains of patients with depression,” says Dr. Paul Glimcher of New York University, who co-led the study. With more research, these simple tests might help doctors quickly screen for and track depression in the clinic. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published August 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references When Sadness Lingers: Understanding and Treating Depression Beat the Winter Blues: Shedding Light on Seasonal Sadness Feeling Stressed? Ways to Improve Your Well-Being Mindfulness for Your Health: The Benefits of Living Moment by Moment Depression Decisional reference point pathology: a cognitive mechanism for and a correlate of major depressive disorder in humans. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule A new study showed that a blood test can estimate when someone will begin to show Alzheimer’s symptoms. This could help researchers better design approaches to prevent or treat symptoms. Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. It’s the most common form of dementia. There is no cure, but there are treatments. People with Alzheimer’s disease have high levels of a protein called p-tau217 in their blood. Researchers studied data from 603 people who had multiple p-tau217 blood tests over time. They used this data to create a “clock” model. The model could identify individuals likely to develop Alzheimer’s symptoms. For those who developed symptoms, it could estimate the age of symptom onset. The time between the first high test result and the first symptoms shrank with age. A person with high p-tau217 levels at age 60 would have symptoms about 20 years later. However, a person with high p-tau217 at age 80 would develop symptoms after about 11 years. The findings suggest a single blood test might be used to estimate how long it will take for someone to show Alzheimer’s symptoms. But more research is needed before the test could be used in the clinic. Researchers are still working to improve the model’s predictions. “Eventually, the goal is to estimate when individuals are likely to develop symptoms, which would help them and their doctors to create a plan to prevent or slow symptoms,” says Dr. Suzanne Schindler at Washington University in St. Louis. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published May 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Beyond Basic Blood Tests: A Window Into Your Health Dealing with Dementia: When Thinking and Behavior Decline Accurate Blood Test for Alzheimer’s Disease New Blood Test May Predict Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet Predicting onset of symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease with plasma p-tau217 clocks Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancer. Part of why it’s so deadly is that doctors usually don’t find it until it has spread to other parts of the body. After cancer has spread, treatment is less likely to work. Currently, there are no screening tests to find pancreatic cancer at its early stages. A recent study tested new ways to detect early-stage pancreatic cancer. Researchers looked at blood samples from 672 patients. These included people with pancreatic cancer and healthy people. The research team also looked at blood samples from people with other conditions of the pancreas, like pancreatitis. The team found that people with early-stage pancreatic cancer had higher levels of two proteins in their blood. The new test looks for these two proteins. It also detects two other proteins that can be a sign of pancreatic cancer in some people. The combined test was able to distinguish between patients with cancer and noncancer patients. It correctly identified those with cancer about 92% of the time. The test was also able to find early-stage cancers in about 87% of cases. “Pancreatic cancer usually doesn’t present with symptoms until it’s too late for surgery,” says Dr. Kenneth Zaret of the University of Pennsylvania. A test that finds pancreatic cancer early on could increase a person’s chances of getting treatment and surviving. More research is needed to confirm this study’s results in larger groups of people. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published April 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references When Cancer Spreads: Improving Treatments for Metastasis Testing an mRNA Vaccine to Treat Pancreatic Cancer The Power of Your Pancreas Pancreatic Cancer Improving a plasma biomarker panel for early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with aminopeptidase N (ANPEP) and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIGR). Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the U.S. Screening tests can check for signs of breast cancer before symptoms start. If cancer is found early, it increases the chance that it can be treated more effectively. Doctors generally recommend mammogram screening based on a woman’s age. A new study shows that it’s safe for breast cancer screenings to be based on women’s risk factors instead of their age. The researchers studied 28,000 women, ages 40 to 74. They tested two screening approaches over five years. One-half of the women had the standard mammogram every year. The other half received personalized recommendations. Women with the highest personalized risk scores had screenings every six months. They switched between mammograms and MRIs. They also had counseling to learn how to lower their chances of getting breast cancer. Women with a slightly higher risk had annual mammograms starting at age 40. Women with an average risk had mammograms every two years beginning at age 50. The personalized screenings worked as well as annual mammograms to find breast cancer. Screenings based on your personal risk could help reduce anxiety and costs. This approach also prevents unnecessary screenings. “The personalized approach begins with risk assessment, incorporating genetic, biological, and lifestyle factors, which can then guide effective prevention strategies,” says Dr. Laura Esserman of the University of California, San Francisco. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published March 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Advances in Breast Cancer: Screening and Treatment Get Personal An Ounce of Prevention: Pros and Cons of Disease Screenings Lowering Your Cancer Risk: Healthy Living for Cancer Prevention Breast Cancer Risk in American Women Breast Cancer Screening The WISDOM Study Risk-based vs annual breast cancer screening: The WISDOM randomized clinical trial Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule Biologically speaking, some people age faster than others. Your aging rate can affect your health and disease risks. If you knew this rate, you might be able to work with your doctor to slow the aging process. A research team developed a way to measure aging based on a single brain scan. The team drew on their earlier studies, where they devised a way to measure biological aging using blood tests. They tracked the health of more than 1,000 people from birth to age 45 and measured 19 factors related to health. These included heart function, metabolism, disease-fighting molecules, and more. Using these, they developed a measurement called the Pace of Aging. It shows how health functions dwindle over time. Most of the study participants also had an MRI scan at age 45. In the new study, the team combined the Pace of Aging scores with the MRI scan data. They developed a new aging measurement, called Dunedin-PACNI, based on the brain scans alone. They then tested the new tool with data collected on thousands of people from other studies. DunedinPACNI accurately predicted how quickly a person’s ability to think and remember weakened with age. It also could predict a person’s risk of future disease and death. “We’ve captured how fast people are aging using data collected in midlife. And it’s helping us predict diagnosis of dementia among people who are much older,” explains Dr. Ahmad Hariri of Duke University. “We really think of it as hopefully being a key new tool in forecasting and predicting risk for diseases.” Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published September 2025. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references A Well-Aged Mind: Maintaining Your Cognitive Health How To Assess Aging? Healthy Aging DunedinPACNI estimates the longitudinal Pace of Aging from a single brain image to track health and disease. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule Cervical cancer can be easy to miss. It usually has no symptoms. But you can have a screening test for the virus that causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer. The tests detect human papilloma virus, or HPV. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent cervical cancer and related deaths. Unfortunately, many women have never been screened or are behind in their screening. NIH-supported scientists tested to see if screening rates could be improved by at-home collection of samples. The study enrolled nearly 2,500 participants who were overdue for a screening. One group received a phone call inviting them to get screened for cervical cancer at a clinic. Another group received a similar call, but were also sent kits to collect their own samples at home. The women could then mail them in for testing. The third group received a call, a kit, and a follow-up call to encourage them to return the kit. More than 40% of those who received the at-home kits completed screening for cervical cancer. They were more than twice as likely to get screened as those who got only a phone reminder. The screening rate was even higher for those who received the mail-in kit and a follow-up call. The findings hint that ready access to at-home kits could reduce obstacles to screening for this often preventable cancer. “These results show that self-collection testing could be a solution to increasing access to screening,” says study lead Dr. Jane Montealegre of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. “This, in turn, could reduce the burden of cervical cancer in the U.S.” Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published August 2025. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Lowering Your Cancer Risk: Healthy Living for Cancer Prevention Cervical Cancer Screening Cancer Screening Self-collection for cervical cancer screening in a safety-net setting: The PRESTIS randomized clinical trial. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule Medical ultrasound is a noninvasive technique. It uses sound waves to create images to assess or treat certain parts of the body. It’s often used as a diagnostic tool during pregnancy. It can help doctors evaluate fetal growth, heart rate, movements, and more. It can also be used to assess other body parts, such as the kidneys, pelvis, or thyroid. Ultrasound is generally considered safe when it’s used as an imaging tool. Unlike X-rays or CT scans, ultrasound doesn’t use any radiation. During an ultrasound exam, a technician applies a thin layer of gel to your skin and then passes a device called a transducer or probe over part of your body. In some cases, the probe is placed inside certain body parts, such as blood vessels or the rectum. The probe produces ultrasound waves. You can’t hear these sound waves, but the probe can detect ultrasound echoes that are reflected back. These are then converted into images that can be displayed on a screen. Some ultrasound techniques can show real-time motions, such as blood flow or movement of the heart. Others can help distinguish healthy from unhealthy tissues, such as tumors or a buildup of scar tissue. Ultrasound can also be used as a treatment. The sounds waves can help to dissolve blood clots or break up kidney stones so they can pass through the body. Learn more about ultrasound. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published May 2025. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Medical Scans Explained: A Look Inside the Body Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule Researchers are developing ways to create an artificial sense of touch in bionic limbs. They hope this will help people control and “feel” robotic arms and hands. Experts have already developed ways to help people sense the intensity and location of a touch. In a new study, scientists aimed to replicate more complex experiences, such as edges and motion. The team tested their new system in two volunteers. Both volunteers had spinal cord injuries that harmed nerve communication between the brain and hand. The researchers placed tiny electrodes into the participants’ brains. They targeted a region that manages complex touch information from the hand. Researchers created specific electrical patterns in the brain. In response, participants reported different touch sensations. These included simple shapes and edges. Some activation patterns mimicked the sensation of using multiple fingers. This gave participants the feeling of complex touch sensations. They felt like they were grasping a can or holding a pencil or a ball. One participant used the system to steer a wheel in response to the sensations of movement the implanted electrodes gave. “This work went beyond anything that has been done before in the field of brain-computer interfaces,” says lead researcher Dr. Giacomo Valle from the University of Chicago and Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, who led the study. More research is needed before such systems can be tested in larger studies. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published April 2025. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Trouble With Touch? Feeling Your World Spinal Cord Injury Tactile edges and motion via patterned microstimulation of the human somatosensory cortex. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article What do you think of when you hear the word robot? Is it a human-like assistant with a friendly face, or a large and menacing foe? Generally, a robot is a machine that that’s been built to perform specific tasks. “When most people hear the term ‘robot,’ they think of things made of solid metal and electronics,” says Dr. Ryan Sochol, a mechanical engineer at the University of Maryland. But medical robots can come in many shapes and sizes. Sochol and his colleagues are creating tiny flexible robots to improve surgical techniques. Other scientists are developing wearable robots to enhance mobility. And others are creating and testing human-like social robots. These may be able to provide information and improve well-being. Most of these robotic devices are still in the research and development phase. They’re not yet ready for general use. But some may become available within the next five to ten years. Robots usually have three key features. They have a sensor that can detect things—like light, motion, heat, or sound. They have an “actuator” that converts energy into movement. And they have a control system or computer program that directs the robot’s activities. Many robots today also depend on artificial intelligence (AI) to assess large amounts of data. “Robots are everywhere. Even many cars now have robots,” says Dr. Xiaopeng Zhao, a biomedical engineer at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. These systems can help drivers with parking, staying within lanes, or cruise control. “And with the support of AI technology, robots will become more useful and more powerful.” Social Robots Help Out Zhao and others are studying how human-like, interactive robots could help people with dementia and their caregivers. As the U.S. population ages, there’s a growing need for caregivers. Family caregivers often provide countless hours of support. That can lead to a lot of stress. Zhao and his team interviewed patients and caregivers at assisted living facilities, senior centers, and memory clinics. They asked about their needs and challenges. They then customized a four-foot tall, human-like robot. It has a touch screen on its chest. These AI-powered robots can listen, talk, move, play videos, and dance. They can also encourage people to reminisce about earlier experiences. “Patients with Alzheimer’s can have short-term memory loss,” Zhao says. “But they may be able to recall what happened 20 or 30 years ago.” The robots can play old songs, discuss sports, or ask questions to trigger memories. “Reminiscing may not restore memory, but it can improve emotional well-being and quality of life,” Zhao says. Robots can patiently listen to the same stories over and over. Zhao’s group is also developing robots that can assist caregivers by providing evidence-based information about dementia. The robots can give tips to help caregivers reduce their own stress and stay healthy. Robots for Surgery Other researchers have been developing tiny robotic tools to help surgeons and physicians. Robotic surgery can lead to less pain and blood loss, smaller scars, and quicker recovery. It can have fewer complications compared to traditional surgery. Robotic surgeries usually involve making little openings through the skin and then inserting small 3D cameras and surgical tools. Sochol’s team is developing miniature tools and robotic techniques to assist with complex surgeries. They’re creating soft robotic devices, made of flexible or compliant materials. These flexible gadgets are helping to improve a type of brain surgery for weakened and bulging blood vessels, called aneurysms. Minimally invasive aneurysm surgery typically involves threading a thin plastic tube, or microcatheter, through the body to reach the brain. The weakened blood vessel can then be repaired or sealed. But the microcatheter has to make many twists and turns along the way, and it can be hard to maneuver. If the catheter can’t reach the aneurysm, the surgery must be canceled. Sochol and his team used 3D printing to create microcatheters that surgeons can steer to reach these tricky parts of the brain. “We created a soft robotic microcatheter that can bend on demand during the procedure to help surgeons reach those hard-to-access areas,” he says. Other NIH-supported scientists are developing soft robotic techniques to improve heart surgery, bowel surgery, and lung biopsies. These soft robotic tools are still considered experimental. Wearable Robotics NIH also funds studies to develop artificial limbs, or prosthetic devices, to replace lost or damaged body parts. Some of these robotic devices connect to the brain and let people control movement of artificial hands, legs, and other limbs. Other researchers are developing battery-powered exoskeletons to help move existing limbs. “Exoskeletons are robots that you wear on your body. They can fit on top of your limbs, kind of like clothing. You can put them on and take them off, like boots or pants,” says Dr. Gregory Sawicki, a biomedical engineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “They can work in synch with your muscles, so your muscles don’t have to do all the work.” Sawicki and his colleagues have been studying how exoskeletons might help improve mobility and prevent falls as people age. Falls can lead to fractures, hospitalization, and disability in older adults. “A primary reason why people fall is that their body can’t react fast enough,” Sawicki says. Robots have the potential to respond more quickly to balance problems than the human body can. Researchers are working to develop more comfortable and lightweight exoskeletons that seem more like clothing. “To live long happy lives, we’ve got to be mobile for as long as possible. Mobility helps us have social connections, which are incredibly important as we age,” Sawicki says. “These kinds of mobility assistive technologies can help us move farther on less energy and to interact with people.” Robots can make life easier or better in many ways. But they’re no substitute for human interactions. “It’s clear that many tasks can be done by robots. They’re especially helpful with repetitive or tedious tasks,” Zhao adds. “But when we’re talking about love, empathy, and bonding between humans, these qualities remain uniquely human.” Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published June 2025. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Artificial Intelligence and Your Health: How Computers are Helping Medicine Bionic Movements: Connecting Mind and Machine Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiving Cerebral Aneurysms Center of mass states render multijoint torques throughout standing balance recovery. 3D nanoprinting of PDMS microvessels with tailored tortuosity and microporosity via direct laser writing. Use of a humanoid robot in supporting dementia care: A qualitative analysis. Exoskeletons need to react faster than physiological responses to improve standing balance. Cognitive exercise for persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia using a social robot. Age-related changes in gait biomechanics and their impact on the metabolic cost of walking: Report from a National Institute on Aging workshop. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Losing the ability to speak can make it difficult to express yourself. Many things can damage the parts of the brain and body that work together to produce speech. Researchers are testing new tools to bypass the damage and restore communication. Speech is a complicated process. Your brain must turn thoughts into words by firing electrical signals along nerve pathways to the muscles of the vocal tract. Those signals tell your lips, jaw, tongue, voice box, and lungs how to move together to produce sound. “Talking uses almost 100 muscles,” says Dr. Sergey Stavisky, a neural engineer at the University of California, Davis. “If the pathways from the brain to those muscles are weak or fully blocked, a person can’t speak.” Several tools can help people who have lost the ability to speak. A new type of system called a brain-computer interface, or BCI, reads signals from the brain and sends them to a computer. The computer then turns those signals into text, a spoken voice, or even movement on a screen. These technologies are helping some people communicate in new ways. Addressing Speech Loss There are many conditions that can impact your ability to speak. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease that weakens muscles and eventually leads to paralysis. Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that causes slowed movements, tremors, and stiff muscles. Other conditions like brain tumors, seizures, strokes, and traumatic brain injuries can affect the parts of the brain we use for speech. Damage to different parts of the brain can lead to different speech issues. Aphasia is a condition in which a person has trouble using or understanding words. Apraxia is when you have difficulty moving your mouth and tongue to say words even when you know what you want to say. “Speech-language therapists play a key role for people with conditions like aphasia or apraxia, which make it hard to recall words or plan the sounds of speech,” says Dr. Matthew Leonard, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco. “Through practice and games, therapists help people rebuild word skills and find new ways to share their message.” There are several tools available to help people who can’t speak. Letter boards are one of the oldest tools. A helper points to letters one by one on a printed board, and the person nods at the right one to spell words. It works without any power or screens, but it is slow and needs a partner who knows the system. Eye trackers use a small camera that follows the person’s eyes as they look at letters or pictures on a screen. When they hold their gaze on a choice, the computer picks it up. Eye trackers let people type on their own, but they can be tiring to use for long talks. A head switch is a button that a person taps with their head to pick letters on a screen. A sip-and-puff device lets a person control a computer by breathing in or out through a straw-like tube. Both give people with limited movement a way to spell words. But the traditional options may not be helpful for people with certain physical limitations. That’s where BCIs can offer an alternative way to communicate. Bypassing the Body BCIs let people control computers, robots, or other devices using brain signals. “We would not have been able to create our first successful BCI without the decade’s worth of deep investigation into how the brain works,” says Dr. Eddie Chang, a neurosurgeon at the University of California, San Francisco. Research from Chang’s lab led to the first implantable BCI that was able to decode speech. Some BCIs sit on the brain’s surface. Others use tiny electrodes that go just under the surface. Both can detect when the brain tries to speak, even when the mouth cannot move. Currently, both of these BCIs require brain surgery and must be connected to a computer through a small port in the skull. Researchers are also studying BCIs that can be implanted via a blood vessel of the brain and used wirelessly. Other brain-signal technologies do not require an implant. Devices called EEG headsets can be worn as headbands or caps. They can pick up brain signals and decode simple speech patterns, but they cannot translate smooth, ongoing language. “The technology used to create BCIs has advanced quickly over the last five years,” says Chang. Stavisky’s team has already developed a BCI that connects to a home computer to restore speech for people with vocal tract paralysis. But advances in technology are only part of the challenge. To turn brain activity into speech, researchers need to understand which parts of the brain are involved and to determine where to place the BCIs. Leonard’s team researches how each person’s brain turns speech sounds into words to help guide BCI development and placement. “We used to think that we could just use anatomy to find where speech and language is processed in the brain, but it turns out that there is a lot of variation from person to person,” says Dr. Jaimie Henderson, a neurosurgeon at Stanford University. For a BCI to work well, it needs to detect strong signals from specific areas of the brain. A recent focus for Henderson’s team has been using functional MRIs to study where to place BCI sensors for the clearest brain signal recordings. A functional MRI allows doctors to watch a person’s brain while it’s at work. The images can show where the brain processes speech and language. This helps doctors determine where to place the BCI sensors. What’s Next? While EEG devices are currently available commercially, right now, implanted speech BCIs are available only through clinical trials. People who might be eligible to participate include those with ALS, lasting stroke symptoms, a spinal cord injury, or paralysis. To search for a clinical trial, visit clinicaltrials.gov. “Our team and others have shown that people can use BCI devices on a day-to-day basis to restore communication,” Henderson says. He and other researchers hope that after a few more years of testing, these devices will be more accessible to those who need them. If you have a loved one who has lost their ability to speak, there are ways you can help improve communication. See the Wise Choices box for tips.   Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published October 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Boosting Stroke Recovery: Advances in Rehabilitation Therapy Advances in ALS: Unraveling Its Causes and Finding Treatments Communication Breakdown: How Aphasia Affects Language Bionic Movements: Connecting Mind and Machine Assistive Devices for People with Hearing, Voice, Speech, or Language Disorders Apraxia of Speech Voice, Speech, and Language ClinicalTrials.gov Decoding intended speech with an intracortical brain-computer interface in a person with long-standing anarthria and locked-in syndrome. Long-term unsupervised recalibration of cursor-based intracortical brain-computer interface using a hidden Markov model. Parallel encoding of speech in human frontal and temporal lobes. A streaming brain-to-voice neuroprosthesis to restore naturalistic communication. An instantaneous voice-synthesis neuroprosthesis. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule Alzheimer’s disease makes thinking, memory, and the ability to carry out daily tasks more difficult. Early treatment can help people stay mentally sharp for longer. So scientists are looking for ways to identify the disease early on. A new study showed that a blood test may help identify early brain changes related to Alzheimer’s in midlife. Alzheimer’s is characterized by the buildup of two proteins in the brain. They’re called tau and amyloid-beta. Older adults with more of certain Alzheimer’s-related forms of these proteins in their blood tend to do worse on thinking and memory tests. Researchers recently looked to see if people in midlife show similar effects. The NIH-funded research team tested blood samples from 1,350 people in their 50s and 60s. None of them had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers measured the Alzheimer’s-related forms of the proteins. The study participants also took cognitive tests. These tests measured their thinking and memory abilities. Most of the participants had taken the same tests five years earlier. Those with higher levels of the Alzheimer’s-related forms were more likely to have cognitive test scores that fell more dramatically over time. They showed slower thinking speeds and greater memory decline over the five years. “Alzheimer’s disease pathology begins years before symptoms emerge,” says Dr. Kristine Yaffe of the University of California, San Francisco. “Detecting the disease early means patients can target modifiable risk factors and maybe seek other care.” But more studies are needed on the blood tests before they can be used in the clinic. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published September 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Beyond Basic Blood Tests: A Window Into Your Health Dealing with Dementia: When Thinking and Behavior Decline A Well-Aged Mind: Maintaining Your Cognitive Health Research in Context: Diagnosing Dementia Alzheimer’s and Dementia Biomarkers Alzheimers.gov About Alzheimer’s (CDC) Alzheimer's disease neuropathology plasma biomarkers and cognition in midlife: a community-based cohort study. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.