I Love Neuro

In this episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS interview physical therapist and inventor Erica Demarch, PT, MSPT about her work at the intersection of neuro rehab, motor learning, and wearable technology. Erica shares how her background founding her company, Step and Connect where she developed the Balance Matters system led her to join Magnes, a Swiss company that created NUSHU, a smart shoe with embedded sensors and vibrotactile feedback designed to analyze and improve gait in real time. She explains how the shoes capture over 35 gait parameters, support both assessment and treatment, and can be used in the clinic or at home, particularly for people with Parkinson's disease and those experiencing freezing of gait. Erica discusses current and ongoing research, practical clinical use cases, challenges like individual variability in vibration perception, and the need to individualize cueing strategies. She also describes implementation models for clinics, emerging possibilities for remote monitoring, and her efforts to train and collaborate with clinicians through demos, courses, and networking events to further refine and expand the clinical applications of this technology.
[email protected]
Learn more at: magnes.ch 
Follow on IG: @magnes_nushu

Eager to learn more about vision rehab in neuro? In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS talks with optometrist Melissa Zarn, OD, FAAO, FNAP and occupational therapist David Katz, OTR/L, CBIS about current advances in neuro-visual rehabilitation and updates within the Neuro Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA). They describe how NORA's clinical skills fellowship program has evolved into a hybrid model with asynchronous online coursework plus in-person hands-on training across three levels, increasingly emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration among OTs, PTs, speech therapists, and neuro-optometrists. A major focus of the conversation is the role of the autonomic nervous system in post-brain injury visual symptoms such as light sensitivity, headaches, dizziness, and sensory overwhelm, and how tools like tinted lenses, environmental modifications, and team-based care can help calm the system and improve function. They also highlight new opportunities for PTs and OTs to deepen their vision rehab skills through NORA's annual conference, the growing community of practice within AOTA around neuro-visual remediation, and starter resources like NeuroCollaborative's vision rehab course for clinicians who want to go further in this specialty area.
Learn more about Neuro Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA) here:  https://noravisionrehab.org/
Learn about NORA's annual conference:
https://noravisionrehab.org/about-nora/annual-conferences/2026-annual-conference
email: [email protected]
Practical Vision Therapy for Neurologic Conditions Course

Vestibular rehabilitation is incredibly effective at treating dizziness, yet barriers exist. Just to name a few - access to expert care, scheduling, ability for patients to adhere to home programs and billing. What if there were a device that helped not only with all of those issues while also helping clinicians get vestibular patients better? The Vertigenius may just be the answer! In this episode, host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS interviews experienced physiotherapist and Vertigenius inventor and founder, Dr. Dara Meldrum, PhD as well as Sparky and neuro biz owner using Vertigenius in practice, Hilary Register, PT, DPT, NCS, AVPT, NCPT to explore how it works. Dara explains how the FDA‑listed medical device combines a small head sensor worn behind the ear, a patient app, and a clinician portal. Vertigenius offers clinicians the opportunity to prescribe precisely dosed gaze, balance, gait, and habituation exercises with real‑time color‑coded feedback, while capturing objective data on symptoms and adherence. She shares the origin story of the technology, its validation against gold‑standard measures, and its role in expanding access to care and supporting both novice and expert clinicians, especially in telehealth and remote therapeutic monitoring. As an experienced vestibular rehab clinician and researcher herself, she ensures the device is completely evidence-based and constantly evolving as the research grows. Hilary describes how she uses Vertigenius in private practice and concussion rehab to reduce in‑person visit burden, track meaningful functional gains patients often don't recognize, offer high touch points to progress plans of care and design cost‑effective care packages that still feel highly personalized. Together, they highlight how this digital platform can improve outcomes, clinician efficiency, and patient empowerment in managing dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance.
Learn more and set up a demo:
https://vertigenius.com
FaceBook: Vertigenius
IG: @vertigenius 
LinkedIn

Are you a business owner looking to increase revenue streams and add more cash-based services into the mix? In this episode host Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and NeuroBiz coach Emily Duval Ledger explore how personal trainers can significantly strengthen neuro-focused businesses by offering wellness sessions that complement therapy. This is a 100% collaboration over competition focus and you'll learn exactly who to look for to hire in your neuro biz. The benefits to having personal trainers is that this service can clearly separate insurance-based medically necessary care from ongoing cash-based wellness, improve client outcomes, and dramatically increase client lifetime value. Emily shares her 20-year journey as a self-employed fitness professional working with people with Parkinson's and older adults, emphasizing that trainers bring a distinct strength and conditioning lens that complements PT expertise. Together, Erin and Emily dive into practical considerations like how to price and pay trainers sustainably, who the ideal hires are, and how to write job descriptions that attract people who genuinely love working with older adults and neuro populations. They also discuss membership and package models to create consistent revenue and foster client commitment, stressing the importance of honest, direct conversations about what it truly takes for clients to see meaningful change. They close by encouraging neuro business owners to embrace their uniqueness, think creatively about integrating trainers, and reach out with questions or ideas as they grow their own "unicorn" practices.

Working with people with dementia and their care partners can be complicated and confusing. What does the evidence say is the best approach? Is it rehabilitative or habilitative?? In this episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS interview occupational therapist and Dementia Collaborative founder Rachel Wiley, MS, OTR/L about her approach to working with people with dementia and their care partners. Rachel shares how past experiences with conflicting recommendations between professionals—and the confusion and mistrust this caused for families—motivated her to create a more advanced, evidence-based program that gets teams using the same language and approaches, especially around topics like rehabilitation vs. habilitation, assistive devices, responsive behaviors, and fall risk. She explains her practical, detective-style framework for understanding and managing responsive behaviors (like waking at night or agitation) by identifying triggers and using strategies such as acknowledge–reassure–redirect and meaningful routines. The episode also touches on the complexities of billing, maintenance care, and determining medical necessity in a progressive condition, emphasizing person-centered, ethical care that balances evidence, function, safety, and the realities of caregiving. Rachel recently launched the beta cohort of her new Certified Dementia Clinician (CDCn) Course, a 20-module, interdisciplinary training designed for OTs, PTs, SLPs, social workers, and other clinicians working with people living with dementia. 
www.dementiacollaborative.com
www.daybydaydementiaconsulting.com
www.rachelwileyot.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-wiley-ms-otrl-cdp-80521079/