ARTICLE SUMMARY:
RebrAIn is providing an AI-enabled service that helps neurosurgeons more precisely localize the target of therapy in the individual’s brain to guide more accurate intervention for Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and other neurodegenerative disorders.
For Parkinson’s disease, deep brain stimulation (DBS) is far more effective and safer than drugs for managing the condition’s motor symptoms. DBS, like any therapy addressing a particular biological target, is most effective and tolerable when it hits the mark. To address the movement disorders that affect patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and essential tremor, DBS needs to stop the problematic signals coming from the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) in the subthalamus region of the brain, which requires placing stimulation leads with an accuracy of one millimeter or less from the target.
But finding the X that marks the spot is no easy task with today’s technologies, and inaccurate lead placement is one of the top factors responsible for suboptimal outcomes. At best, the reported efficacy of 60-80% for DBS in these patients still leaves room for improvement.
