New technologies and future trends

Numerous technologies have been introduced for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with neurologic disorders, offering the promise of early diagnosis, tailored and individualized interventions, improvement in quality of life, and restoration of neurologic function. Many of these technologies have become available commercially without having been evaluated by rigorous clinical trials and regulatory reviews, or at the least by peer review of results submitted for publication. A subset is intended to assess, assist, and monitor cognitive functions, motor skills, and autonomic functions and as such may be applicable to persons with developmental disabilities. Barriers that have previously limited the use of technologies by persons with neurodevelopmental disabilities are disappearing as new technologies that have the potential to substantially augment diagnosis and interventions to enhance the daily lives of persons with these disorders are emerging. While recent and future advances in technology have the potential to transform their lives, cautious and thoughtful evaluation is needed to ensure the technologies provide maximal value. As such, further work is needed to demonstrate feasibility, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness, and technologies should be designed to be optimized for individual use.