VA Research Wrap-Up: Advances in Brain-Computer Interfaces, Cancer Treatment, and Geriatric Care
Recent research initiatives within the Department of Veterans Affairs are yielding promising results in several key areas, including brain-computer interfaces, blood cancer treatment, and improved care for older Veterans.
Enhanced Brain-Computer interface for improved Control
A collaborative effort between researchers at the Pittsburgh VA,Carnegie Mellon University,and the University of Pittsburgh has led to a significant advancement in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. The new system utilizes a 64-electrode cap to record brain waves via electroencephalography (EEG), and incorporates a “point-and-click” command. This addition allows users to control robotic arms or computer cursors with their thoughts more effectively, enabling continuous control and complex tasks like grabbing, moving, and placing objects.
A study involving ten volunteers – three with a recent stroke history and seven without – demonstrated successful simultaneous control of both interface movement and clicking. This represents an advancement over previous systems that required users to pause and select from predetermined actions. Importantly, the non-invasive nature of the cap offers a less expensive and safer choice to implanted devices. A video presentation of the technology is available on the journal’s web page: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11172292/media#media. The full study was published in ‘IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering’ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40966144/.
Targeting RAB7 Protein Shows Promise in Blood Cancer Treatment
Researchers, including a team member from the San Antonio, Texas VA, have identified a potential new treatment avenue for cancers like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Their work focuses on the protein RAB7,which plays a role in cell growth and death,and whose elevated presence can indicate cancer risk.
The team discovered a new compound that effectively blocks RAB7 activity in a dose-dependent manner,leading to decreased tumor cell growth in both cultured human cells from biopsies and mouse models. These findings suggest the compound holds promise as a novel treatment for various forms of lymphoma. The full study can be found in ‘Frontiers in Oncology’: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12497597/.
Age-Friendly Health System Reduces Hospital Re-Admissions
Implementation of VA’s Age-Friendly Health System is demonstrably improving patient outcomes. The system, which prioritizes person-centered care for older patients across many VA hospitals, focuses on the “4Ms”: what Matters most to the patient, their Medications, their Mobility, and their Mental state.
A study comparing 2,400 older Veterans receiving the 4Ms assessment across six VA hospitals to a control group of 4,700 who did not, revealed a 30% reduction in hospital re-admissions within one month for those receiving the age-friendly assessment. These results indicate the system’s effectiveness in improving care for older Veterans. the study was published in the ‘Journal of the American Geriatrics Society’: https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.70156.
For more facts on these and other research updates, visit the VA Office of Research and Development website at https://www.research.va.gov/ or https://www.research.va.gov/news_briefs/.
