cardiology

Scientists from a UK university claimed to have developed a physiotherapy treatment that would likely help stroke and injury sufferers recover faster. Experts claim their novel technology, called “virtual reality treadmill,” could be of great help to worldwide stroke sufferers.

The virtual reality fitness programme encourages the patients to move faster on a specially-adapted treadmill with virtual reality screens, which in turn can speed up their recovery, said lead scientist Wendy Powell, a PhD student at the School of Creative Technologies, who has developed the software, which works in conjunction with a specially adapted treadmill.

Powell said the system fools patients’ brain into believing they are walking too slowly than they are which in turn encourages them to walk faster and further. Moving images of trees or mountains on a giant screen respond to patients' efforts on the adapted treadmill. As patients walk images make it seem as if they are strolling in the country.

Scientists at Israel's Ben Gurion University claim to have discovered a miracle gel that could mend a damaged heart tissue, a breakthrough in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Currently there’s no way of repairing heart muscle after an attack.

Scientists for decades have experimenting with a number of methods to block further tissue damage in patients who suffer a heart attack. Now, an Israeli research provides a ray of hope for the experts who are trying for long to find a way to block re-growth of tissue damage.

A team of Israeli researchers, headed by Professor Smedar Cohen, said they have developed a gel from seaweeds which could stave off the risk of an additional damage. The gel, codenamed BL-1040, is derived from an ordinary type of brown seaweed, and can help repair heart tissue after it is damaged in a heart attack, the researchers claim.