Welcome to the latest edition of Neuro Rehab Times magazine, the bi-monthly essential update for all professionals involved in brain and spinal rehab, care and recovery.

Optimism is in the air at this time of green shoots and new life. And in neuro-rehab there are indeed many reasons to be upbeat, amid all the challenges and struggles faced on a daily basis by patients and the teams that support them.

Among them is the news that Europe is to get what's being billed as its first, large scale neurotech hub. Two universities and a Brazilian neurotech institute famed for creating the first brain-controlled lower limb exoskeleton, that enabled a paraplegic to deliver the opening kickoff of the 2014 Football World Cup, will build the new hub in Milan.

It aims to deploy large-scale modern neurotech and neuro-rehab protocols, based on a "novel and generic non-invasive brain-machine interface approach". Collaborative working between clinicians, academics and tech developers can yield great results - for example, see the UK-based MiNT Academy's work to support clinicians in embedding neurotech within their approach. Also, Fourier's Advanced Rehab Robotics Center in Malaysia has similarly built success on the foundations of cross-profession collaboration.

It will be interesting to see if new neurotech hub can drive neuro-rehab innovation at scale (read more on NR Times website as the plan develops).

Meanwhile, any increase in neuro-rehab care capacity is undoubtedly good news. In our cover story we're pleased to share the inside story of the building of a new brain injury ward at St Andrew's Healthcare. Find out how its creators hope it will help to improve standards and access to care nationally across the UK.

Another development in neuro-rehab we're tracking at NR Times is the field's continual adjustment to long COVID in treatment pathways and approaches. Its emergence from the pandemic meant many MDTs were suddenly called in to work with a condition they'd never experienced before, given it has some neuro-coginitive commonality with - and creates similar needs to - other NR conditions. If we're looking for positives around this, it's that we may be finally gaining the research insights needed to shape ongoing care of the condition.

Brain fog is one of the most common complaints with long COVID, affecting as many as 46 per cent of patients alongside other cognitive issues including memory loss and concentration problems. 

A new study has found that these symptoms may be the result of a viral-borne brain injury that may cause cognitive and mental health issues that persist for years.

Researchers found that 351 patients hospitalised with severe COVID-19 had evidence of a long-term brain injury a year after contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The findings were based on a series of cognitive tests, self-reported symptoms, brain scans, and biomarkers. See the story on the NR Times website in our long COVID section for more on how it may help to fuel future treatments.

You'll find plenty more positives inside this edition, including the many ways that case managers are improving outcomes for neuro-rehab patients and the difference a new home made to one young man with unique needs.

Analysis and insights this issue, meanwhile, include those covering biofeedback, the CQC single assessment framework, NHS rehab challenges, the forgotten victims of the CJS, antipsychotic drugs and brain injury and advances in early intervention in NR.

If you're reading NR Times for the first time, welcome aboard. I hope you find us an inspiring and useful way to spend your time; and urge you to please share our stories far and wide.

Andrew Mernin, head of editorial, NR Times
andrew@aspectpublishing.co.uk