Deep brain stimulation
Deep brain stimulation can be named as an offspring of 'health' activities in the region. In a presentation lasting about two hours, Prof Michel Decré discussed the current state of this technique and innovations in the field of brain stimulation. Here, the lecture focused on the successful innovations being developed in the company Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation. A very interesting presentation brought by a good speaker.
The Deep Brain Stimulation lecture was well attended with 72 participants. 45 members had signed up with the 14 new members joining from the introductory meeting on the day. Also invited to this lecture were members of the BMT (Biomedical Technology) group, who were well represented with 13 attendees.
The South Region aims to encourage participation from other organisations to promote opportunities for networking, business contacts and membership recruitment. This approach also proved successful at this meeting.
The programme we followed can of course be revisited on the activity pages on 18 February 2013, you can see the page here.
Description
Note: CHANGED DATE, also change location (Zalencentrum Prinsenhof in Best)!
Ever since Galvani was able to use electricity to tighten the legs of a frog in the 18th century, doctors and engineers have tried to use electricity to treat neurological disorders.
In addition to earlier electric shock therapy for depression and cochlear implants that help deaf-born children hear, deep brain stimulation - DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) - has impressively "given back their lives" to nearly 100,000 Parkinson's patients since 2000 by restoring most of their ability to move.
With DBS, a brain pacemaker is permanently implanted, which administers light electric currents into a small brain nucleus. Unfortunately, DBS also often causes side effects: uncontrolled currents can spread to unwanted brain areas where they cause tingling, interfere with muscle control, or sometimes even affect the patient's behaviour. New systems are needed that deliver stimulation more precisely, and reduce or avoid side effects.
Sapiens is developing a new DBS technology, "Steering Brain Stimulation", in which the probe is covered with many, smaller electrodes thanks to microfabrication technology and can direct currents in unprecedented ways in a controlled way. We will screen the implications of the number of electrodes, on system architecture, innovations, but also on ease of use: after all, a better understanding of stimulation is needed to support doctors in programming therapy.
We hope to illustrate here how new neuron technologies will dramatically increase the possibilities for new brain therapies
Speaker(s)
Prof Michel Decré, CTO, Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation B.V.
Location
Attention: Zalencentrum Prinsenhof Best
Hoofdstraat 43, 5683 AC Best
Organiser
Region South
Medical Technology
Name and contact details for information
Ing. J. (Koos) Mulder, t: 06-11380464/ e: koos.mulder@philips.com