AI Detects Hidden Pain Syndrome

FEATURED RESEARCH

Study Finds AI Can Identify Chronic Pain Syndrome Through Gut Bacteria

Diagnosing Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is difficult because its symptoms (severe, ongoing pain, swelling, skin color and temperature changes) are general and expressed in other conditions.

CRPS usually occurs after an injury or surgery, often in a limb, and results in long-term disability. An estimated 400,000 to 2.1 million people worldwide are affected and many patients suffer for years before getting a correct diagnosis and treatment.

A New Pathway: Researchers at McGill University, along with colleagues in Israel and Ireland, used AI to find a unique “microbiome signature” in CRPS patients.

The study published in Anesthesiology analyzed gut microbiome samples from CRPS patients and pain-free individuals in Israel and Canada. Despite huge differences in geography and diet, the AI model was over 90% accurate in predicting CRPS.

Key Findings: The study found the gut bacteria composition in CRPS patients was different from pain-free controls.

Interestingly, this bacterial pattern persisted even in patients whose pain went away after limb amputation, so some microbiome factors may predispose individuals to CRPS.

Potential Impact: This means new hope for faster, more accurate diagnosis of CRPS.

It also opens up new avenues to explore how managing the gut microbiome can treat or prevent chronic pain conditions.

For more details: Full Article 

Brain Booster

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Opinion and Perspectives

SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY

Researchers Warn AI Is Creating Fake Biomedical Images That Evade Detection

AI is making impressive strides in biomedical research but there’s a growing concern that isn’t quite talked about: AI-generated images of fake experimental results. Fabricated images by these new models look frighteningly real.

How AI is enabling scientific fraud: In a recent editorial in the American Journal of Hematology, experts from Temple University and the University of Toulouse are warning about generative AI tools producing fake research images.

Unlike traditional image manipulation, AI-generated images leave no obvious clues for detection.

These images can be made in minutes from text descriptions. For example, simulating detailed protein test results like Western blots without doing any experiments.

Why this matters: Fake images can fool reviewers and editors, making it much harder to ensure scientific integrity. The widespread availability of powerful AI tools makes this problem worse.

Researchers are already seeing synthetic images in real journal submissions.

The scale of the problem: We don’t yet have numbers on the prevalence but the editorial notes it’s growing fast.

AI tools are now available to anyone online. A single undetected fake image could undermine trust in an entire field of research, leading to flawed conclusions or wasted funding and resources.

What to do now: Antonio Giordano, Director of the Sbarro Health Research Organization, says we need to update our peer-review processes and accountability standards now.

The scientific community must adapt fast, otherwise AI-driven fakery will damage the credibility of scientific research itself.

For more details: Full Article

Top Funded Startups

Exclusive - State of Healthcare AI Brief

MONTHLY REPORT

April’s AI healthcare funding, policy changes, and emerging trends

AI healthcare startups raised $808 million in April.

This month is an odd one out this year. Deals were at the usual pace, just over 50, but the cash meter stopped, our first sub-billion month of 2025.

Instead of the headline-grabbing megarounds we saw in March, investors spread their bets across leaner, workflow-friendly plays.

Access Our Report and Funding Database: Full Review

Product Pipeline

EXOSUIT

Clinical Trials Begin for Wandercraft’s AI Walking Suit Designed for Real-World Use

Wandercraft has launched clinical trials for its AI-driven Personal Exoskeleton, designed to help individuals with spinal cord injuries, stroke, or neuromuscular disorders stand and walk independently in real-world environments.

Building on its success with the Atalante X rehab exoskeleton, the new device uses physical AI to adapt in real-time to the user's movement and terrain, offering joystick-controlled mobility for both indoor and outdoor use.

With support from NVIDIA’s AI and simulation platforms, Wandercraft is looking to bring this technology to the millions who rely on wheelchairs, and is targeting FDA clearance later this year.

For more details: Full Article

Policy and Ethics

FDA

FDA to Deploy Generative AI Across All Centers After Successful Pilot

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is set to deploy generative AI tools across all its centers by June 30, aiming to streamline drug reviews and reduce delays.

After testing AI with scientific reviewers, the agency found it could offload repetitive tasks and free up experts to focus on more complex analyses.

The AI rollout marks a major shift in internal operations and is expected to evolve further with tailored features for different departments.

The FDA is also prioritizing security and compliance as it integrates AI, amid reports of recent meetings with OpenAI and Musk-affiliated figures. More details on the rollout will be released publicly in June.

For more details: Full Article

Byte-Sized Break

📢 Three Things AI Did This Week

• In a U.S. court first, an AI-generated video gave voice to murder victim Christopher Pelkey at his killer’s sentencing, raising both emotional impact and legal concerns over the future use of AI-generated content in judicial proceedings. [Link]

• Europe pledged €600M, including funds specifically targeting AI research, as part of its "Choose Science for Europe" campaign to attract global talent and strengthen its scientific and technological leadership. [Link]

• Amazon unveiled Vulcan, an AI-powered robot with a sense of touch that marks a major leap in warehouse automation, using machine learning to identify and handle items more efficiently while raising concerns about potential job displacement. [Link]

Have a Great Weekend!

Trivia Answer: A. Platypus

The platypus doesn’t have nipples! Instead, it secretes milk through special patches of skin, and the babies lap it up from the mother’s fur. Evolution definitely took a creative turn with this one.