Dimension 7: Clinical Neurotechnology

Other / 11 Mar, 2026
In the rapidly evolving landscape of brain research and technology, clinical neurotechnology represents the crucial bridge between discovery and care. This field focuses on integrating advanced intervention and monitoring systems into digital brain health pipelines, allowing clinicians to track, understand, and support patients more effectively than ever before. By bringing continuous, data-driven insight into patient care, clinical neurotechnology is transforming how we detect, treat, and manage neurological conditions — not just in hospitals, but increasingly at home as well as shown by these three examples of research taking place within the NeurotechEU alliance.

More precise and personalized treatment of schizophrenia

Did you know that 1 in 100 people will be diagnosed with schizophrenia? While antipsychotics are the standard treatment, around 25% of patients are drug-resistant and need alternatives. At the Université de Lille, psychiatrist Renaud Jardri shows how clinical neurotechnology connects brain research to patient care. His team uses advanced fMRI to capture brain activity during hallucinations and identify functional markers that guide targeted treatment. These insights inform clinical applications, such as more precise, personalised neuromodulation with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for patients unresponsive to medication. As Jardri explains, “clinical neurotechnology is central to translating fundamental research into clinical applications. One example is the Cross Disciplinary Project LOOP, funded by the University of Lille Initiative of Excellence and supported by the NeurotechEU alliance.” By targeting functionally defined brain regions rather than anatomical landmarks, his work paves the way for adaptive, closed-loop stimulation that is both more effective and more comfortable for patients .

Early detection of Parkinson’s disease at home through sleep monitoring

At the Medical University of Innsbruck, clinical neurotechnology starts long before patients ever enter a hospital. For biomedical engineer and member of the Board of Governors of NeurotechEU, Matteo Cesari, the goal is simple: move diagnostics from specialised labs into people’s homes. Together with the Center for Sleep Medicine, he studies REM sleep behaviour disorder, one of the strongest early predictors of Parkinson’s disease. “It is the earliest and most predictive biomarker of future Parkinson’s disease,” Cesari explains. “But today you still need a sleep lab to diagnose it. That makes large-scale screening almost impossible.” Instead, together with other European partners, they are developing a small, contactless depth-sensing camera that monitors movements during sleep and analyses them with AI. “We don’t record images but measure the distance from the camera. From that we can automatically detect the movements typical for this disorder.” The goal is early, home-based screening, when the brain is still relatively intact. “If we can identify people years earlier, that’s when treatments have the biggest chance to work.” The project is funded by an European EP PerMed Grant.

Brain–computer interfaces to accelerate stroke recovery

For physician and neurologist Michael Knoflach, clinical neurotechnology is about restoring function after stroke. In cooperaton with VASCage, an Austrian center for clinical stroke research, he integrates brain-computer interfaces directly into rehabilitation at the Medical University of Innsbruck. Because recovery depends on intensive repetition, therapy is often slow and labour-intensive. His team uses EEG-based BCIs that detect when patients imagine a movement and immediately trigger electrical stimulation to activate the muscles. “Thinking or imagining the movement is much faster than actually doing it,” Knoflach says. “The interface creates a closed loop between the brain and the body.” Early results show faster motor recovery and possible benefits for speech and swallowing. The team also supports patients at home with a digital care platform, now being tested in a large clinical trial. “Half of recovery happens after the acute phase, continuous digital support during that phase can make a huge difference.”  

8 Dimensions of NeurotechEU

The eight dimensions of NeurotechEU cover a wide range of topics, from advancing research and treatments to addressing ethical questions related to how technology interacts with the brain, with the objective of creating a bridge between several disciplines. These dimensions aim to tackle what the Alliance identifies as “neurochallenges” – issues that require multidisciplinary approaches at the intersection of neuroscience and neurotechnology.

  1. Empirical and clinical neuroscience: Investigating brain function and developing treatments for neurological disorders.
  2. Theoretical Neuroscience: Using computational models to explain and predict brain activity.
  3. Neuromorphic Computing: Designing computer systems inspired by the brain to enhance efficiency.
  4. Neuromorphic Control and Neurorobotics: Creating robots capable of adapting and moving like living beings.
  5. Neuroinformatics: Building tools to manage and analyze large-scale brain data.
  6. Neuroprosthetics: Developing devices to interface with the brain, restoring or augmenting its functions.
  7. Clinical Neurotechnology: Applying digital systems for real-time monitoring and treatment of brain conditions.
  8. Neurometaphysics: Exploring ethical, legal, and philosophical issues surrounding the use of neurotechnology.