The Guardian : This neuroscientist is using virtual reality to revolutionize stroke treatment

Tej Tadi, founder of medical startup MindMaze, is gamifying rehabilitation for stroke survivors – and the results are inspiring

Tej Tadi has always had one thing on his mind: the human brain. A neuroscientist, engineer and entrepreneur, Tadi’s innovative approach to stroke rehabilitation has earned him numerous accolades, including being named one of Fast Company’s most creative people in business in 2018.

After years working in hospitals, Tadi realized traditional treatments for stroke patients weren’t motivating or frequent enough to maximize potential for a full recovery. So in 2012, he created MindMaze, a neurorehabilitation company that uses virtual reality and neuroscience to repair broken connections in the brain, and retrain the body to move after a stroke. The technology has also been proven to alleviate symptoms of phantom pain in amputees.

Because there’s such a short window after a stroke when the brain can bounce back, starting treatment early is critical. MindMotion Pro can be used in-hospital just four days after a brain injury, and studies found the training intensity of stroke patients using the device almost doubled in the first 10 sessions. Strokes are also devastating long-term, and Tadi found many patients had trouble motivating themselves once they were out of the hospital. With the portable MindMotion Go device, patients can start playing at home in just five minutes. Clinical research found patients motivated by the variety of goal-oriented games, and practiced up to 15 times more therapeutic exercises compared to traditional treatments.

By 2016, the start-up was valued at $1 billion, with the MindMaze VR technology making its way into hospitals across Europe and Asia. In-patient devices like MindMotion Pro, and portable devices like MindMotion Go, have already helped more than 1,300 patients. Receiving FDA approval in 2017, Tadi is preparing to launch MindMaze in the US, where strokes are the fifth leading cause of death. Recently, MindMaze also acquired Neuro Motor Innovations, a company that also utilizes game therapy as a complementary treatment for stroke patients.

Tadi sees MindMaze as more of a passion project, one he hopes will revolutionize the way patients relearn to move and think, while motivating them to take recovery into their own hands.

“Human machine interfaces powered by brain technology are where the future is,” he says.

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Author: Marouene Chouchene