Mental Health Tech Insider: Where Technology Meets Mental Health
Dr. Maria Blekher
Founding Partner at Serendipity Impact VC - investing in startups transforming Neuro & Mental Health
Welcome to the sixth issue of Mental Health Tech Insider —your compass for navigating the intersection of technology and mental health. Whether you’re an investor, entrepreneur, advisor, or simply fascinated by the industry’s evolution, this newsletter is designed for you.
In this issue:
Love, Maria
Brain Buzzwords: Key Concepts in Mental and Neuro Health
Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is the brain's amazing ability to change, adapt, and reorganize itself throughout our lives. This dynamic capacity lets us learn, form memories, and pick up new skills by creating and strengthening neural connections. After a brain injury or stroke, neuroplasticity is crucial, forming new pathways and reassigning functions to undamaged areas, playing a key role in rehabilitation and recovery.
There are two main types of neuroplasticity: structural and functional. Structural neuroplasticity involves actual changes in the brain's architecture, like forming new neurons and synapses, altering dendritic spines, and modifying white matter. These changes are tied to long-term learning and memory, evolving over days, weeks, or even months. Functional neuroplasticity, on the other hand, involves changes in neural activation patterns and synaptic strength, happening quickly—sometimes within minutes. This form is vital for short-term learning and rapid adaptation to new environments and challenges, often serving as the brain's immediate response to new experiences or injuries. For example, PTSD and depression are linked to both structural and functional neuroplasticity changes in the brain.
Recent research highlights neuroplasticity's role in aging, cognitive reserve, and neurodegenerative diseases. Engaging in mentally stimulating activities, cognitive training, or physical exercise can boost neuroplasticity, promoting overall brain health. Essentially, neuroplasticity underlies our ability to learn, adapt, and recover, offering hope for treatment and rehabilitation across various neurological, mental, and psychiatric conditions. How about adding neuroplasticity-boosting activities into your daily life?
Technologies Transforming Mental Health
Imagine a world where a seamless, accurate and objective mental health screening is a natural part of your annual doctor's visit…
?While this might sound far off, screening tests have already revolutionized healthcare by preventing illnesses and reducing mortality rates. For instance, regular mammogram screenings reduce breast cancer mortality by 20-40% in women aged 50-69 . Now, imagine mental health screenings becoming just as routine in primary care.
Routine mental health screenings hold immense potential. Approximately 50 million Americans suffer from mental illness , with nearly 1 in 20 experiencing suicidal thoughts . The strong link between mental and physical health makes these screenings even more critical. For example, depression increases the mortality risk by 184% in diabetes patients, 44% in heart attack survivors, and 41% in individuals with kidney failure .
Given these statistics, it's no surprise that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended regular anxiety and depression screenings for adults under 65 during annual physicals back in 2022 .
This is where the latest technological advancements in mental health tech come into play. Innovations like Facial Emotion Recognition (FER), AI, and voice analysis are set to make mental health screenings more objective, efficient, and routine. If implemented correctly, these, and other technologies are not just improving mental health outcomes but setting us on a path towards a more holistic approach to overall well-being. Bringing us closer to a future where healthcare is more personalized, predictive, and preventive.
Thinking out loud, what impact would regular mental health screenings have on your life and those around you?
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Market Trends: What CMS’s proposed reimbursement codes could mean for the digital therapeutics industry?
When the federal government starts looking at covering digital therapy tools through Medicare, you know something big is happening. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to begin reimbursing doctors for FDA-approved digital mental health treatments in 2025, bringing in new payment codes for providers. This shows that CMS sees the real value in digital tools for mental health, and it might even push private insurers to do the same. For startups in the mental health tech space, this is a game-changer, combining digital tools with traditional treatments to make mental health care more accessible.
This move is likely to increase investor confidence in digital solutions for mental health by solving the long-standing issue of a scalable reimbursement pathway. The new codes, GMBT1, GMBT2, and GMBT3, will make it easier for providers to bill for digital therapeutics, from initial patient instruction to ongoing monthly management. This development is a big thumbs-up for digital solutions as an integral part of mental health care.??
In a world full of tech, stay human, see human,
Maria
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About the author:
I am Dr. Maria Blekher, a behavioral scientist, growth strategist, and investor with a robust background in consumer behavior and market strategies. I hold a PhD from Ben Gurion University and a postdoc at NYU, leading to my role as the founding director of the YU Innovation Lab in the heart of the NYC tech ecosystem. My expertise centers on bridging market entry gaps for startups, aligning go-to-market strategies with profound consumer behavior insights and market dynamics, and cultivating strategic partnerships. Driven by a mission to make an impact and enhance the human experience through technological innovation, my partner Avi Yaron and I are launching Serendipity Impact VC —investing in early-stage, disruptive neuro and mental health startups.
P.S. If you are curious to find out more:
Cramer, S. C., et al. (2023). "Harnessing neuroplasticity for clinical applications." Brain.
Voss, P., et al. (2023). "Neuroplasticity in the aging brain: A systematic review of the neuroimaging evidence." Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.
Kays, J. L., Hurley, R. A., & Taber, K. H. (2022). "The dynamic brain: Neuroplasticity and mental health." Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.
Sagi, Y., et al. (2023). "Learning-induced structural plasticity in the adult brain. " Trends in Neuroscience.
Pascual-Leone, A., et al. (2022). "The plastic human brain cortex." Annual Review of Neuroscience.
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2023). Mental Health By the Numbers.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2022). Screening for Anxiety in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA, 328(17).
Transforming Workspaces with AI | Lecturer | Boosting Productivity & Performance | AI Workshops & Implementation
3 个月Dr. Maria Blekher Fascinating to see another area where AI can transform our lives. As an AI implementation consultant, I'm excited about the potential of integrating these technologies into mental health services.?
Innovation Dynamo ??CEO & Co-founder @ Exosomm ??FoodTech??Impact ??SHEquality
3 个月Neuroplasticity meets tech - a game-changer for mental health care. Exciting times ahead! well done!!
??♀?Business Orchestrator??♀?Senior Executive Specializing in Int'l & Cross-Cultural Women Healthcare, BizDev strategy??♀?CMO??♀?B2B2C & FemTech??♀?Sheconomy??♀?Wound dressing??♀?EZbra
3 个月Very interesting! As always, I learn from each post! In a country overloaded with mental issues post 7.10 wouldn't it be amazing if we could be diagnosed earlier, assisted earlier and if the future was already here? Can't wait to see you F2F
Dr. Maria Blekher very interesting article! As a “non educated” person in this field why the term used is neuroplasticity, and not neuroelasiticy? Unless it is already used, seems it has a better fit…(And excuse me if this is a stupid question…). Thanks!
Dr. Blekher, This issue of the Mental Health Tech Insider is very relevant! We fully agree that innovations like Facial Emotion Recognition (FER), AI, and voice analysis are key in making mental health screenings more objective, and efficient. Our ANYx3 technology exemplifies this revolution. Using advanced machine learning, ANYx3 provides real-time, quantifiable insights into emotional and psychological states through Facial Micro-Expressions of Emotion (FMEE). This aligns with making healthcare more personalized, predictive, and preventive. Regular mental health screenings with technologies like ANYx3 can significantly improve outcomes for individuals and communities. These advancements enable earlier interventions, more accurate diagnoses, and more effective treatments. The proposal by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reimburse digital mental health treatments underscores the value of these technologies. This validates integrating digital tools with traditional treatments to make mental health care more accessible. We at Deasura are excited about the future of mental health technology and are committed to this transformative journey. Rob Evans #MentalHealthInnovation #MentalHealthtech #BehavioralScience