Brain Stimulation News and Research

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Boston Scientific announces first implantation of Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation System in Parkinson's disease trial

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced the first implantation of its Vercise™ Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System as part of the VANTAGE clinical trial. VANTAGE is a multi-center, prospective trial designed to examine the improvement of motor function in approximately 40 European patients implanted with the Vercise DBS System for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

10 Nov 2010

New noninvasive technique provides low-level electrical stimulation to reduce pain

A simple, noninvasive technique providing low-level electrical stimulation of the brain produces significant pain-reducing effects in humans, reports the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

4 Nov 2010

Researchers develop software tool to study wiring of brains

A team of researchers at the Eindhoven University of Technology has developed a software tool that physicians can use to easily study the wiring of the brains of their patients. The tool converts MRI scans using special techniques to three-dimensional images. This now makes it possible to view a total picture of the winding roads and their contacts without having to operate.

28 Oct 2010

Integra launches CRW Precision Arc Stereotactic System for neurosurgery

Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation announced today the launch of the CRW Precision™ Arc Stereotactic System, a multi-purpose stereotactic system used for localizing intra-cranial targets and precisely directing instruments to the target in cases such as brain biopsy, tumor resection, and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgeries.

18 Oct 2010

Study finds TMS is an effective treatment solution for major depression

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), the treatment delivers a series of electrical pulses to the part of the brain associated with depression and other mood disorders. The pulses generate an electric current in the brain that stimulates neurons to increase the release of more mood-enhancing chemicals like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.

15 Oct 2010

Experts reach consensus about DBS treatment for Parkinson's disease

Since the late 1990s, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has proven to be a lifeline for some patients suffering from Parkinson's disease, a cruel neurological disorder that can cause lack of control over movement, poor balance and coordination, and rigidity, among other symptoms.

14 Oct 2010

TMS therapy benefits patients with major depression: Study

In a study to determine the durability and long-term effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), psychiatric researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found the non-invasive, non-drug therapy to be an effective, long-term treatment for major depression. Results of the study were published in the October 2010 issue of Brain Stimulation, a journal published by Elsevier.

12 Oct 2010

International conference on brain stimulation in psychiatry and neurology to be held October 7 and 8

Thirteen national and international experts in the field of Brain Stimulation in Psychiatry and Neurology will meet October 7 and 8 during a conference held at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute. They will present research findings and ground-breaking clinical applications concerning the use of brain stimulation techniques. New treatments still under development, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, will also be discussed. Close to 150 participants are expected to take part in this conference.

5 Oct 2010

Study supports therapeutic potential of deep brain stimulation in patients with chronic psychiatric disorders

Using electrodes to stimulate areas deep within the brain may have therapeutic potential for patients with obsessive compulsive disorder that is refractory to treatment, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

5 Oct 2010

New quantitative methods to detect small signs of tremor

Sensitive new quantitive methods could be used to detect small signs of increased tremor and impaired motor skills caused by exposure to certain metals, and to follow up the treatment of neurological disorders, reveals a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

4 Oct 2010

Deep brain stimulation improves OCD symptoms, promotes smoking cessation and weight loss

Electrical stimulation of the brain in a patient with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) led to some unanticipated benefits—"effortless" smoking cessation and weight loss, according to a case report in the September issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

22 Sep 2010

NIDA awards 5-year, $3.7M research grant for development of drug to treat cocaine addiction

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy has received a prestigious $3.7 million grant to develop a drug to treat cocaine addiction based on an active ingredient found in some Chinese prescription medicines.

21 Sep 2010

St. Jude Medical granted European CE Mark for Athena deep brain stimulation therapy management system

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced European CE Mark approval of its new Athena™ programmer, a deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy management system. This next-generation platform offers clinicians a powerful yet easy-to-use interface that enables them to set or adjust therapeutic parameters to optimize patient results.

20 Sep 2010

Medtronic Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy for severe epilepsy receives CE Mark approval

Medtronic, Inc. today announced that the company has received CE (Conformité Européenne) Mark approval for Medtronic Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Therapy in Europe as adjunctive treatment for partial-onset seizures in adults with medically refractory epilepsy. DBS therapy for epilepsy delivers controlled electrical pulses to a target in the brain called the anterior nucleus of the thalamus, which is part of a circuit involved in seizures.

17 Sep 2010

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation helps to regain motor function in partially paralyzed patients

Stroke patients who were left partially paralysed found that their condition improved after they received a simple and non-invasive method of brain stimulation, according to research in the September issue of the European Journal of Neurology.

14 Sep 2010

Non-invasive brain stimulation helps paralysed stroke patients regain motor function

13 Sep 2010

Latest achievements in brain research and treatment for mental disorders

Mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, addiction and schizophrenia are the core challenge of most health care systems around the world. In the EU alone, each year 27% of the total adult population - this corresponds to 83 Million citizens - suffer from mental disorders. Depression alone affects almost 20 million ranking in the EU as the most disabling disorder of all diseases.

30 Aug 2010