The startup Neurable created headphones that monitor brain activity, while the French company NAOX developed specific headphones for epilepsy approved by the FDA. These devices aim to revolutionize preventative medicine, allowing users to monitor their health without the need for frequent medical appointments.
A headset that detects early signs of Alzheimer’s or an application that scans the iris looking for traces of cancer are some of the tools with artificial intelligence (AI) that aim to disseminate self-examination of diseases.
“Preventive medicine doesn’t work today because no one wants to go to the doctor all the time for exams. But what if we knew when we needed to go?”, highlighted Ramses Alcaide, CEO of
Smart rings, bracelets and watches, ubiquitous at the recent CES technology fair in Las Vegas, can now monitor heart rate, blood pressure and glucose levels, with varying degrees of accuracy.
They respond to strong public demand, illustrated by a study published a few days ago by OpenAI, which shows that more than 200 million internet users consult ChatGPT weekly on health-related matters.
The group led by Sam Altman last week launched ChatGPT Health, which uses the user’s medical history, with their consent, and data collected by various connected device applications.
Using electroencephalogram (EEG) technology, Boston-based Neurable developed a ‘headset’ that records and interprets brain activity.
The model currently on sale can identify brain slowness and suggest a break.
Company works on several innovations
Neurable is also working in a ‘headset’ to optimize the performance of video game players (‘gamers’).
Furthermore, the startup is developing a feature that compares data with the user’s historywhich can detect deviations, a possible sign of pathology, explained Ramses Alcaide, whose company focuses on ‘software’ in partnership with equipment manufacturers.
“An Apple Watch can identify Parkinson’s, but only when you start to feel tremors,” Alcaide highlighted.
With EEG, “you can see things before physical symptoms appear”, he assured.
This is not a diagnosis, but an early warningwhich can also warn users about depression or the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, among other things.
Some, however, have reservations about the capabilities of personal EEG devices.
“I don’t think they are reliable enough to detect signs” of these conditions, said Anna Wexler, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies consumer detection products, although she recognizes that “AI has expanded the capabilities of these devices.”
Neurable works with Ukrainian Army
Neurable is collaborating with the Ukrainian Army to assess the mental health of soldiers returning from the frontlines, as well as prisoners of war, and to detect possible cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The young French company NAOX has developed headphones with connected EEG to a small device designed specifically for epilepsy.
Better than detecting seizures, which are generally “very rare,” the device recognizes spikes — brief, abnormal electrical discharges in the brain — that are “much harder to see” and characteristic of a status epilepticus, according to Marc Vaillaud, physician and head of innovation at NAOX.
Unlike the Neurable headset, the NAOX headset, which has received FDA approval, is designed to be used at night, collecting several hours of data with each use.
The startup is working with the Rothschild and Lariboisière hospitals in Paris to understand the links between these “peaks” and Alzheimer’s, a topic already covered in publications.
