A Closed Loop Brain-machine Interface for Epilepsy Control Using Dorsal Column Electrical Stimulation.
Although electrical neurostimulation has been proposed as an alternative treatment for drug-resistant cases of epilepsy, current procedures such as deep brain stimulation, vagus, and trigeminal nerve stimulation are effective only in a fraction of the patients. Here we demonstrate a closed loop brain-machine interface that delivers electrical stimulation to the dorsal column (DCS) of the spinal cord to suppress epileptic seizures. Rats were implanted with cortical recording microelectrodes and spinal cord stimulating electrodes, and then injected with pentylenetetrazole to induce seizures. Seizures were detected in real time from cortical local field potentials, after which DCS was applied. This method decreased seizure episode frequency by 44% and seizure duration by 38%. We argue that the therapeutic effect of DCS is related to modulation of cortical theta waves, and propose that this closed-loop interface has the potential to become an effective and semi-invasive treatment for refractory epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
Department of Neurobiology Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.|Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Saúde, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal.|Instituto de Ciências da Vida e da Saúde, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Miguel
M
Pais-Vieira
Department of Neurobiology Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.|Department of Biomedical Engineering Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Amol P
AP
Yadav
Department of Neurobiology Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Derek
D
Moreira
Department of Neurobiology Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
David
D
Guggenmos
Department of Neurobiology Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Amílcar
A
Santos
Department of Biomedical Engineering Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.|Duke Center for Neuroengineering Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Mikhail
M
Lebedev
Department of Neurobiology Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.|Department of Biomedical Engineering Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.|Duke Center for Neuroengineering Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.|Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.|Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience of Natal, Natal, Brazil.
Miguel A L
MAL
Nicolelis
D000818:Animals; D062207:Brain-Computer Interfaces; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000633:toxicity; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy; D062187:Spinal Cord Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
D010433:Pentylenetetrazole