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With Digital Health, the Future Is Now

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Amid the often dire news circulating this year, several outlets added a bit of levity with articles noting that 2022 was the supposed year of George Jetson’s birth. The Jetsons, the space-dwelling animated cartoon family whose home once represented the ultimate in futuristic living, entertained audiences of the 1960s and beyond with wild imaginings of gizmos and gadgets that might be invented in the 21st century. And now, the articles marveled, our timeline officially overlaps with that of the Jetson family’s patriarch. Several technologies featured in the series came to pass in the 21st century, including drones, teleconferencing, and Siri-esque robots. One episode even featured a “pill cam” that could be swallowed to allow a doctor to see inside the human body. This technology exists—though in a different form—today. Although we’re not yet living in spacious apartments or enjoying a two-hour workweek like George Jetson, digital health advances are beginning. They even exceed the leve...
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Neurodegnerative disorders affect everyone, their present and future, and how we can prevent the progression of the disorders with early intervention

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Neurodegenerative disorders are a group of conditions characterized by the progressive deterioration of neurons (nerve cells) in the brain or spinal cord. These disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), can significantly impact individuals, their families, and society as a whole. The effects of neurodegenerative disorders extend beyond the individuals who are directly affected. Family members often assume caregiving responsibilities, which can be emotionally, physically, and financially demanding. The burden on healthcare systems and society increases as the prevalence of these disorders rises with an aging population. Neurodegenerative disorders not only affect the present lives of individuals but also have long-term implications for their future. As the diseases progress, cognitive, motor, and functional abilities decline, leading to difficulties with memory, thinking, movement, and daily activities. T...
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Understanding the Cognitive Impacts of Multiple Sclerosis

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Approximately 2.8 million people around the world are currently living with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet there is still no known cure for the disease. One reason MS is so hard to pin down is that it manifests differently in every person, causing various combinations of symptoms in some and remaining  “clinically silent” in others even as the disease worsens.   As with many other diseases that affect  cognition , there is often a lag between when MS begins to develop and when it is diagnosed.   What Is Multiple Sclerosis? MS is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which comprises the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. For reasons that are not yet understood, MS causes the immune system to attack the CNS, damaging the myelin sheath that protects the nerve fibers that enable communication between the CNS and the rest of the body. In advanced cases, the nerve fibers themselves become damaged.   Sites of demyelination and fiber damage are known as lesion...
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