A three-year trial of BlinkLab’s smartphone-based platform designed to conduct remote neurobehavioural assessments is underway.
ASX-listed health tech BlinkLab has partnered with US university Bates College to assess the capacity of company’s smartphone-based diagnostic platform for diagnosing functional neurological disorder.
Led by Associate Professor of Neuroscience Olivia Kim, the three-year trial will look to recruit up to 500 participants across Maine, New York and New Jersey to undergo remote neurobehavioral testing via the BlinkLab platform to validate its diagnostic criteria and processes as a tool for identifying FND, a condition frequently misdiagnosed given its complexity and similar symptomatology to conditions such as multiple sclerosis and dementia.
The company has also been given the opportunity for exclusive ownership over any intellectual property produced under the collaboration, the announcement confirmed.
According to BlinkLab CEO Dr Henk-Jan Boele, the collaboration offered an opportunity for the company to substantially upgrade the platform’s “reliability and utility” as a validated diagnostic tool for neurological screening.
“Olivia and I share a longstanding passion for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying learning and memory formation,” Mr Boele said.
“This collaboration will not only advance our understanding and diagnostic capabilities for FND but will also enhance the overall performance of our platform for autism and/or ADHD.
“By testing patients with FND, we will even further refine our app and AI/ML models, improving their diagnostic accuracy for autism and ADHD [and] benefiting a broad spectrum of patients.”
Originally founded by Princeton University Professor of Neuroscience Sam Wand and Dr Boele, BlinkLab offers a customisable behavioural testing platform designed to facilitate remote screening for a range of neurological disorders, including ADHD, autism, schizophrenia and various forms of dementia.