Deep Brain Stimulation

Researchers have created an ultra-thin sensor that can wirelessly record deep brain activity down to a resolution of one or two neurons. The device has potential applications in conditions such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and chronic pain.

A study has found that deep brain stimulation assists with post-stroke rehabilitation, even years after the stroke occurred. The researchers say their technique offers hope to stroke survivors suffering from chronic impairment.

In the treatment of epilepsy, doctors will sometimes implant arrays of stimulating electrodes on the surface of a patient's brain. A new soft robotic system allows those electrodes to be placed far less invasively than ever before.

A new technique using piezoelectric nanoparticles that are activated via bursts of ultrasound has shown promise as a wire-free way to stimulate the brain. It could be used to treat Parkinson's disease and other brain-based disorders.

A new design for a deep brain stimulation implant could greatly improve the experience of living with these devices, by using integrated triboelectric generators to convert a user’s breathing movements into electricity.

In a first-of-its-kind pilot study, scientists have implanted a device designed to disrupt brain signals associated with binge-eating food cravings into two human volunteers, pointing to a future where implants control a variety of impulsive behaviors.

Deep brain stimulation works by targeting specific areas of the brain with electrical impulses, and a study has demonstrated how it can be customized based on individual brain activity to treat depression resistant to traditional forms of therapy.

Depression is condition where deep brain stimulation is showing real promise, and a new study has uncovered fresh detail on how it induces anti-depressive effects, offering scientists a novel biomarker via which they can work to optimize the approach.

A landmark study has demonstrated how a brain implant can deliver targeted bursts of electrical stimulation to improve cognitive functions. In real-time the implant senses biomarkers of cognitive deficits and responds by stimulating specific brain regions.

For decades surgeons have been using deep brain stimulation to treat severe Parkinson's disease. Now researchers have found a way to deliver it more precisely, resulting in the benefits lasting four times longer in animal models.

An incredible proof-of-concept study has demonstrated how a brain implant can treat severe depression using electrical stimulation. The implant tracks neural activity for patterns of depression and zaps a key region in real-time to disrupt the cycle.

Human trials for a first-of-a-kind device designed to treat the brain via electrical stimulation have brought some very promising results, leading to significant quality-of-life improvements for a pair of men with motor neurone disease (MND).