Deeper Brain Stimulation

Newly designed brain implant looks to stimulate more effectively.

Deep brain stimulation has been the last resort for patients suffering from the neurological disorders of Parkinson’s to chronic pain to dystonia or even major depression. This process, discovered in the late 90’s has been moderately successful at treating the symptoms of these causes utilizing a method similar to the pace maker of the heart. This surgical procedure implants electrodes in different places in the brain (depending on the treatment desired) and sends electrical pulses to disrupt the communications of the neurons. Despite the years of application, the exact explanation of its effectiveness is still relatively unknown. From a laypersons understanding, the procedure essentially puts electrodes in the brain and blasts it with electrical pulses.

Though this explanation is far oversimplified, compared to the new treatments being invented, the current treatment is not that far from the “shotgun blast” analogy. The electrodes currently used are about a millimeter in length which makes it very difficult to target only the desired neurons.

Depression, hallucinations, addictions, hypersexuality, and cognitive dysfunction- these symptoms of what sound like a trip to Las Vegas, are what lead Wolfgang Eberle, of IMEC’s bioelectronics research group, to develop a smaller more accurate electrode to pinpoint specific neurons. Due to the large size of the current electrode, researchers conclude that “collateral damage” of the large pulses leads to these neurological side effects. Wolfgang Eberle presented his new more precise electrode to the Design, Automation & Test in Europe (DATE) conference showing his studies which utilized “multi-physics simulation software COMSOL 3.4 and 3.5.” Using the advanced simulation software, Eberle designed an electrode about 10 micrometers in sized that would be placed in greater numbers than the current electrodes but work in a more precise stimulatory manner. His breakthrough has the potential to change the pulses from “shotgun” to “sniper rifle.”

Though this procedure seemingly has little to do directly with neuro-enhancment , it is a step in the direction of a more feasible and accurate brain-machine interface. The movement from the macro scale to the micro scale precedes the eventual movement into nanotechnology which could open the doors to mechanical brain enhancement only seen in science fiction. From researches at Stanford designing a circuit board hippocampus to Eberle’s tiny electrodes, the brain is becoming a mainframe for unprecedented technological breakthroughs.