A deep brain stimulation device capable of fine-tuning output based on patient neuronal activity has been approved for the first time for use in Parkinson’s and a range of other neurological disorders. This is the first marketed deep neurostimulator that can also capture brain signals. Medtronic’s device not only offers the first commercial brain sensing DBS device for movement and psychiatric disorders, but also pushes the field of neuromodulation toward its ultimate goal: development of a closed-loop system in which a patient receives electrical stimulation adapted to their unique brain activity.
Medtronic’s new device moves
brain sensing beyond epilepsy to a broader range of indications, such as
movement and psychiatric disorders. The device can stimulate continuously (24
hours a day) while simultaneously sensing brain signals, or local field
potentials. Key to the advance was in filtering out the noise from the artificial
stimulus pulse while tuning in to the relatively subtle signals of the brain. Researchers
achieved this using high-quality amplification and frequency-specific filters
that enable the device to isolate and subtract the artificial signal from the
intrinsic signals of the brain.
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