Abstract
The Deep Brain Stimulation of the Anterior Nucleus of the Thalamus (ANT-DBS) is an effective treatment for refractory epilepsy. In order to assess the involvement of the ANT during voluntary hand repetitive movements similar to some seizure-induced ones, we simultaneously collected videoelectroencephalogram ( vEEG) and ANT-Local Field Potential (LFPs) signals from two epilepsy patients implanted with the PerceptTM PC neurostimulator, who stayed at an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) for a 5 day period. For this purpose, a repetitive voluntary movement execution protocol was designed and an event-related desynchronisation/synchronisation (ERD/ERS) analysis was performed. We found a power increase in alpha and theta frequency bands during movement execution for both patients. The same pattern was not found when patients were at rest. Furthermore, a similar increase of relative power was found in LFPs from other neighboring basal ganglia. This suggests that the ERS pattern may be associated to upper limb automatisms, indicating that the ANT and other basal ganglia may be involved in the execution of these repetitive movements. These findings may open a new window for the study of seizure-induced movements (semiology) as biomarkers of the beginning of seizures, which can be helpful for the future of adaptive DBS techniques for better control of epileptic seizures of these patients.

Abstract
Direct blood pressure (BP) measurements require cuff compression, which not only is time-consuming but also inconvenient for frequent monitoring. This study addresses the challenge of continuous BP estimation (both Systolic (SBP) and Diastolic (DBP)) during exercise in a cuff-less manner, utilizing photoplethysmography (PPG) signals acquired by low-cost wearables. Leveraging Reflective Pulse-wave Transit Time (R-PTT), state-of-the-art algorithms were put to the test in two datasets (total subjects = 18). DATASET1 contains PPG signal and BP measurements of subjects in resting state, while DATASET2 comprises data of subjects in resting state and during exercise. The results reveal competitive performance, with Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of the estimation algorithm for DATASET1 being SBP=7.9 mmHg and DBP=5.2 mmHg and SBP=14.4 mmHg and DBP=7.7 mmHg for DATASET2. DATASET1 consistently outperforms DATASET2, affirming the algorithm's efficacy during resting states and that estimation during physical activity introduces challenges, requiring further refinement and research for real-world applications. In conclusion, this research unveils a viable solution for continuous cuff-less BP monitoring, while emphasizing the need for refinement and validation to enhance its clinical applicability and accessibility.

Abstract
The gold standard methods for real-time core temperature (CT) monitoring are invasive and cost-inefficient. The application of Kalman filters for an indirect estimation of CT has been explored in the literature since 2010. This paper presents a comparative study between different state of the art Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) estimation algorithms and a new approach based on a biomimetic human body response pre-emptive mapping concept. In this new method, a mapping model of the physiological response of the heart rate (HR) change to CT increase is pre-applied to the input of the EKF estimation CT procedure in a near real-time manner. The algorithm was trained and tested using two datasets (total participants = 18). The best performing algorithm with this novel pre-emptive mapping achieved in an average Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 0.34°C while the best state of the art EKF model (without pre-emptive mapping) resulted in a RMSE of 0.41°C, leading to a 17% improvement performance of our novel method. Given these favorable outcomes, it is compelling to assess its efficacy on a larger dataset in the near future.

Abstract
The progressive and complex nature of Parkinson's disease (PD) may largely benefit from regular and personalised monitoring, which is beyond the current clinical practice and routinely available systems. This paper proposes a simple and effective system to address this issue by using a wearable device to quantify a key PD's motor symptom - gait impairment as a proof-of-concept for a future broader approach. In this study, 60 inertial signals were collected from the ankle in 41 PD patients during a clinical standard gait assessment exercise. Each exercise iteration was classified by a specialised neurologist based on the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). A signal processing and feature extraction pipeline was employed to characterise gait, followed by a statistical analysis of their ability to differentiate between the 5 levels of impairment. The results revealed that 4 of the 8 studied features exhibited high discriminatory power between different severity levels of gait impairment, with statistical significance. The distinguishing capability of these 4 extracted features - gait consistency, rotation angle, mean height and length of steps - holds great promise for the development of a gait severity quantification remote monitoring for PD patients at home or on the move, proving the concept of the usefulness of wearable devices for regular and personalised PD symptom monitoring.

Abstract
The human brain, with its vast network of billions of neurons and trillions of synapses (connections) between diverse cell types, remains one of the greatest mysteries in science and medicine. Despite extensive research, an understanding of the underlying mechanisms that drive normal behaviors and response to disease states is still limited. Advancement in the Neuroscience field and development of therapeutics for related pathologies requires innovative technologies that can provide a dynamic and systematic understanding of the interactions between neurons and neural circuits. In this work, we provide an up-to-date overview of the evolution of neurophotonic approaches in the last 10 years through a multi-source, literature analysis. From an initial corpus of 243 papers retrieved from Scopus, PubMed and WoS databases, we have followed the PRISMA approach to select 56 papers in the area. Following a full-text evaluation of these 56 scientific articles, six main areas of applied research were identified and discussed: (1) Advanced optogenetics, (2) Multimodal neural interfaces, (3) Innovative therapeutics, (4) Imaging devices and probes, (5) Remote operations, and (6) Microfluidic platforms. For each area, the main technologies selected are discussed according to the photonic principles applied, the neuroscience application evaluated and the more indicative results of efficiency and scientific potential. This detailed analysis is followed by an outlook of the main challenges tackled over the last 10 years in the Neurophotonics field, as well as the main technological advances regarding specificity, light delivery, multimodality, imaging, materials and system designs. We conclude with a discussion of considerable challenges for future innovation and translation in Neurophotonics, from light delivery within the brain to physical constraints and data management strategies.

Abstract