A new device that can measure nerve activity could help doctors treat sepsis and PTSD. The device, which is about the size of a quarter, attaches to a patient’s skin and measures the electrical activity of the nerves. This information can then be used to help guide treatment.
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to infection injures its own tissues and organs. PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event.
While both sepsis and PTSD can be treated with medication, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. That’s where the new device comes in. By measuring nerve activity, doctors can tailor treatment to the individual patient.
The device is still in the early stages of development, but the hope is that it will one day be able to help many people who suffer from these conditions.
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to infection injures its own tissues and organs. Severe sepsis can lead to shock,multiple organ failure, and death. Early detection and treatment of sepsis is critical to improve outcomes.
Current methods to measure sepsis severity are lacking, and there is a need for more accurate and timely tools to assess disease progression.
Researchers have developed a new device that can measure nerve activity and potentially be used to assess and treat sepsis. The device, called Diaphanous-related formin 2 (DRF2), is a small molecule that selectively binds to and activates Formin 2 (F2), a protein that plays an important role in nerve development and function.
When injected into the bloodstream, DRF2 travels to the nerves and binds to F2, causing the nerve to fire and sending a signal to the brain. The researchers then used an electroencephalography (EEG) to measure the brain’s response to the DRF2-induced nerve activity.
In a sepsis model in rats, the researchers found that the DRF2-induced nerve activity was significantly increased in septic animals compared to controls. Importantly, the increase in nerve activity was correlated with the severity of sepsis.
This novel measurement of nerve activity may enable more accurate and timely diagnosis of sepsis, as well as provide a new way to monitor disease progression and evaluate the efficacy of treatments. The development of this technology may also have implications for other conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), where nerve activity is known to be altered.
