TaVNS randomized trial launched to test perioperative anxiety reduction in laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery

Jiangsu Cancer Hospital is recruiting 120 patients into a double‑blind RCT (ChiCTR2500112808) testing two sessions of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (TaVNS) versus sham to reduce perioperative anxiety in laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery; primary outcome is HADS‑A measured days 1–3 and at three months.

Open dataset links hourly symptom diaries with bilateral wrist accelerometry from 66 Parkinson’s patients

A University of Cologne–Charité team published an open dataset of hourly symptom diaries matched to bilateral wrist accelerometry from 66 Parkinson’s patients (393.8 days of concurrent data). The files, metadata and example Matlab scripts are available on OSF.

Colorado performs its first implanted brain–computer interface surgery at UCHealth

UCHealth and CU Anschutz performed Colorado’s first implanted brain–computer interface surgery, implanting a device in higher‑level brain areas to restore motor and sensory function and collect long‑term data on cognition and movement.

Men's Journal names Somnee Smart Sleep Headband its top active sleep tracker after hands-on testing

Men’s Journal tested sleep wearables and named the Somnee Smart Sleep Headband its top active sleep tracker on Apr 7, 2026, citing EEG-based tracking and pre‑bed neurostimulation but noting comfort and data‑reliability issues.

MIT.nano adds 16 startups to START.nano in 2025, expanding its hard‑tech cohort

MIT.nano enrolled 16 startups into its START.nano program in 2025, expanding the accelerator to more than 32 companies. The cohort spans health, semiconductors, quantum hardware and includes Cahira Technologies, a developer of nonsurgical neural implants.

AlphaRise neurofeedback game aims to help people with MS manage fatigue

A poster at Cedars-Sinai’s vMed described AlphaRise, a 2D EEG-based neurofeedback game for people with MS that classifies five brain states, runs 5-minute sessions, and includes a Compassionate Mode to accommodate fatigue.

China team publishes longitudinal DBS–fMRI dataset linking treatment response to a motor network in Parkinson’s

A Beijing team published a longitudinal DBS–fMRI dataset from 14 Parkinson’s patients in Nature Neuroscience and found that clinical response correlated with normalization of the somato‑cognitive action network (SCAN). The authors released the data for other researchers and link SCAN changes to potential personalized DBS strategies.

Carmella Ryan leads EEG study of emotional memory at Slippery Rock

Slippery Rock junior Carmella Ryan and instructor Shannon McKnight are launching an EEG study of emotional memory that measures the late-positive potential; Ryan narrowed 2,200 words to 120 and the team is recruiting adult participants.

UT Southwestern symposium: VR used to train surgeons, ease patient pain and support rehab

UT Southwestern’s 28th Capra Symposium showcased clinical uses of virtual reality in surgical training, pain and anxiety reduction, and rehabilitation, and reported pilot data showing >5% peak-VO2 gains in lower-fit participants during immersive exercise tests.

electroCore enrolls first eight patients in gammaCore nVNS PTSD study

electroCore reported April 7, 2026 that the first eight patients have enrolled in an investigator-led study of its gammaCore non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation device for PTSD; the trial will enroll up to 40 adults and assess CAPS-5 change after 12 weeks.

Burgenland startup Mindset Technologies announces system to monitor pilots' cognitive load

Mindset Technologies, founded in 2024 in Burgenland, announced on 7 April 2026 its Enhanced Pilot Performance System (EPPS), a wearable neurotech device that measures pilots' cognitive load in real time. The company said it won a Defence Conference hackathon and was supported by the Wirtschaftsagentur Burgenland incubator.

Frontiers perspective warns of risks from long-term, unsupervised tDCS use

A Frontiers Perspective accepted 6 April 2026 warns that long-term and unsupervised use of tDCS lacks systematic safety data and urges researchers, regulators and vendors to adopt safeguards and materiovigilance.

AI eye‑tracking and emotion recognition to improve attention in children with autism

Matrouh University researchers describe an AI system combining eye‑tracking and emotion recognition to monitor and adapt attention during storytelling for children with autism. The published excerpt lists authors and approach but does not include outcome or sample data.

Connectome Health Raises $2M Pre-seed to Build Longitudinal Cognitive Monitoring Platform

Zurich NeuroTech startup Connectome Health raised $2 million pre-seed to build a longitudinal platform that creates personalised cognitive baselines, applying methods from Imperial College London’s LUCID study and linking neural signals to sleep and activity.

Finnish neurotech Audicin raises $1.9M to expand app, headband and SDK

Finnish neurotech Audicin raised $1.9M, taking its total to about $3M, to expand its audio-based app, sleep headband and a lightweight SDK for embedding nervous-system regulation into other platforms.

Neurotechnology Explained: How EEG, BCI, DBS, and Modern Neurotech Work