The Week of

Cala Health announced FDA clearance of its next-generation Cala kIQ Plus wearable, a new upgrade to its existing neurostimulation platform for essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. 

The device builds on its TAPS (transcutaneous afferent patterned stimulation) technology, adding new therapy modes and adaptive calibration designed to improve tremor control and personalize treatment delivery.

The updated system allows patients greater control over when and how therapy is delivered, while early clinical data suggest improved response rates and broader efficacy, including bilateral tremor improvement. Check it out: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cala-announces-fda-clearance-of-its-next-generation-taps-therapy-wearable-device-for-essential-tremor-and-parkinsons-disease-302742780.html.

Compass Pathways announced a U.S. grant program to fund the development of training programs for healthcare providers ahead of a potential commercial launch of its psilocybin-based therapy, COMP360. 

COMP360, a synthetic psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression. The company is now positioning for a potential filing and approval timeline. The grant program is designed to ensure providers are trained, operationally ready, and aligned with regulatory standards, which is critical for a therapy that requires supervised administration rather than traditional prescribing. Here’s more: https://ir.compasspathways.com/News--Events-/news/news-details/2026/Compass-Pathways-Announces-U-S-Grant-Program-for-the-Creation-of-Post-Approval-COMP360-Provider-Training/default.aspx.

Roche received CE marking in Europe for its Elecsys Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL) blood test, allowing its commercial use across the region. 

The test measures levels of a protein released when nerve cells are damaged, offering a direct, blood-based signal of neurological activity instead of relying solely on periodic MRIs or symptom tracking.

NfL is also not disease-specific, with elevated levels seen across multiple neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s and traumatic brain injury. That positions the test as part of a broader move toward blood-based biomarkers as a core tool in neurology, rather than a single-use diagnostic. Check it out: https://jlsfund.substack.com/p/a-simple-blood-draw-could-replace

Did you know that earlier attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis could be linked to a lower probability of school dropout?

A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry looked at when people are first diagnosed with ADHD and how that timing affects their long-term outcomes. Researchers found that individuals diagnosed earlier were more likely to perform better in school, continue their education, and avoid dropping out compared to those diagnosed later in adolescence.

Certainly, it makes sense that early diagnosis could shape someone’s progress through school and into adulthood. After all, if the condition is identified earlier, there’s more time to receive support.

That being said, this particular study offers real data to support that thesis. It tracked over 500,000 individuals and found that those diagnosed earlier (typically in childhood) had better grades, were more likely to pursue academic paths, and were less likely to drop out of school compared to those diagnosed later in adolescence.

The takeaway is pretty straightforward. ADHD doesn’t suddenly appear in high school; it’s usually there earlier. But if it’s not identified, students miss out on support during the years when it matters most. By the time a diagnosis happens later (often around ages 14 to 16), academic struggles may already be entrenched, and the data show dropout risk can rise significantly, in some cases approaching 30%.

Check it out: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2847662