Pulse electrical stimulation drives cell-type specific neuromodulation
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have discovered a way to make deep brain stimulation (DBS) more precise, with longer-lasting therapeutic effects than currently available methods
Gittis is an associate professor of biological sciences at Mellon College of Science and a faculty member at the Neuroscience Institute
"By looking for an intervention with long-term effects, we hope to greatly reduce the stimulation time, thereby minimizing side effects and extending the battery life of the implant
In 2017, Gittis laid the foundation for this treatment.
Since then, she has been trying to find a treatment strategy that is easier to apply to patients with Parkinson's disease
Gittis said: "This is a big improvement over other existing therapies
In the new research protocol, the researchers targeted specific neuronal subgroups in the globus pallidus (a region of the basal ganglia of the brain) and used short pulses of electrical stimulation
"This concept is not new
The first author of the paper, Teresa Spix (Teresa Spix), said that although there are many powerful theories, scientists have not fully understood why DBS works
“We’re a bit like playing with a black box
"Many times, those of us who work in basic scientific research laboratories do not necessarily have a lot of contact with actual patients
Next, neurosurgeons from the Pittsburgh Allegheny Health Network (AHN) will use Gittis research to conduct human safety and tolerability studies
"Aryn Gittis continues to carry out amazing research, elucidating our understanding of the pathology of the basal ganglia in movement disorders
Donald Whiting, AHN's chief medical officer, is one of the most important experts in the use of brain pacemakers in the United States.
He said the new agreement may open the door to experimental treatments
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Tomycz said, "This work will really help design the future technologies we use in our brains and will help us achieve better results for these patients
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Science
DOI
10.
1126/science.
abi7852