Stimulating Brains

Andreas Horn
Stimulating Brains

Andreas Horn interviews experts in the field of deep brain stimulation, noninvasive neuromodulation, functional brain imaging and neuroanatomy. Join us on our quest to interact with the human brain and thank you for your interest in science! Andreas Horn, M.D., Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and associate professor for neurology at Harvard Medical School.

  1. #64: Balint Varkuti – Making Use of Side-Effects: Redefining Brain Computer Interfaces with Ceregate

    قبل ٢٣ ساعة

    #64: Balint Varkuti – Making Use of Side-Effects: Redefining Brain Computer Interfaces with Ceregate

    Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Bálint Várkuti, a distinguished expert in the field of neuromodulation. Dr. Várkuti is the founder and CEO of CereGate, a pioneering company developing brain-computer interface technologies—referred to as computer-brain interface technologies—that aim to enhance neuromodulation therapies. Before founding CereGate, Dr. Várkuti made significant contributions to image-guided DBS programming solutions at Brainlab. With over a decade of experience in neurotechnology and the medical device industry, his work focuses on designing innovative interfaces between technology and the human brain to improve patient outcomes. For those familiar with DBS, you’ll understand the nuances here: when stimulation of the super-dynamic nucleus in DBS is set too high, patients often experience a tingling or irritating sensation due to overstimulation of sensory fibers. Typically, this side effect is avoided. However, Dr. Várkuti had a groundbreaking insight: This sensation represented a channel of information with the brain – and one could make use of it! In a nutshell, CereGate leverages these overlooked pathways, using them in a patterned and complex way to transmit information that the brain can decode. This approach opens up new possibilities for interfacing with the brain, which we find truly fascinating: This concept that CereGate is exploring might just be the start of a much larger field of innovation.

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  2. #63: Mark McAuley & Susan Boehnke – Patient-led Research, Patient-Centered Care and Neuroscience Education

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    #63: Mark McAuley & Susan Boehnke – Patient-led Research, Patient-Centered Care and Neuroscience Education

    In this episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Mark McAuley, a deep brain stimulation (DBS) patient and the CEO of Astronomy Australia Limited, and Dr. Susan Boehnke, an Associate Professor at Queen’s University in Canada and director of the Neurotech Microcredential Program and the Neurotech Discovery Lab. Together, they've been part of remarkable efforts that not only focus on the practical and ethical aspects of neurotechnology but also engage students in real-time research. Mark brings over thirty years of experience in research and development, with a remarkable track record of securing $300 million in Australian Government grants for major research infrastructure projects. Holding degrees in astrophysics, ancient history, and an MBA—where he was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s medal as the university's highest-achieving postgraduate student—Mark was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2010 and received a DBS implant in 2020. Post-surgery, he's been a passionate advocate for better patient care and improved DBS programming to enhance clinical outcomes. Dr. Susan Boehnke completed her PhD in Neuroscience at Dalhousie University and has an extensive background in auditory neuroscience and primate neurophysiology. She led the creation of one of the first non-human primate models of Alzheimer’s disease and established Canada's first non-human primate biobank. In response to the explosion of interest in neurotechnology, she's now pioneering a micro-credential program in neurotech and exploring the ethical issues surrounding it. She's also leading the Training Committee for Connected Minds, a significant research initiative between York and Queen’s Universities. At the recent Neuromodec conference in New York, Mark and Susan presented their work, which emphasizes patient inclusion in research—a theme Dr. Boehnke passionately advocates for—and provides transformative learning experiences for students. Today, we'll dive into their journeys, the science behind their projects, and explore potential insights into the future of patient-led research and education in neurotechnology.

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  3. #61: Shan Siddiqi – Bringing Human Brain Connectomics to Clinical Practice in Psychiatry

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    #61: Shan Siddiqi – Bringing Human Brain Connectomics to Clinical Practice in Psychiatry

    In this episode, I was able to talk to Dr. Shan Siddiqi, who is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a researcher at the Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he and his lab focuses on brain circuit therapeutics. Shan’s work bridges the gap between neuroimaging and causality, exploring the mechanisms of brain stimulation and lesions in neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He’s made remarkable strides in understanding the brain circuits involved in these conditions and how we can leverage this knowledge for neuromodulation therapies. Shan has worked on numerous topics that focus at improving transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for psychiatric indications by using brain connectomics. Using various causal sources of information, he was able to show that the same network is associated with changes of depressive symptoms in patients with brain lesions, major depression, epilepsy or Parkinson's disease – and this network could be identified using various types of brain lesions, transcranial magnetic or deep brain stimulation sites. More recently, Shan has worked on identifying a novel TMS target for PTSD based on data from penetrating head trauma lesions and TMS sites. He has worked on conceptual papers that revolve around closing the causality gap in neuroimaging, as well as on how to bring connectomics into clinical practice in psychiatry. His recently launched prospective R01 funded trial will aim at prospectively mapping random cortical stimulation sites to various behavioral and clinical outcomes.

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  4. #60: Nanthia Suthana – Pushing Boundaries: Memory Enhancement, Virtual Reality, and Trauma Therapy in Neuroscience

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    #60: Nanthia Suthana – Pushing Boundaries: Memory Enhancement, Virtual Reality, and Trauma Therapy in Neuroscience

    In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Suthana, a leading neuroscientist from UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and the Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior. Dr. Suthana’s career sits at the intersection of neuroscience, neural technology, and engineering, focusing on memory disorders and innovative brain technologies. We explore her groundbreaking research on memory enhancement through deep brain stimulation (DBS), focusing on a study where stimulation of the entorhinal cortex enhanced memory retention during learning. She also delves into the challenges of translating laboratory findings into real-world clinical improvements. In a truly unique part of her work, Dr. Suthana uses virtual reality (VR) and mobile tech to study memory in naturalistic settings. Her lab even developed a custom backpack system, allowing participants to move freely while recording real-time brain activity to better understand memory and spatial navigation. We also discuss her recent work on PTSD, where she uses responsive stimulation in the amygdala to help reduce trauma-triggered responses. Dr. Suthana expresses her excitement about the future of wearable tech and how it might revolutionize the field by combining real-time data collection with neurostimulation. Tune in for an inspiring look at the future of neuromodulation and memory enhancement as Dr. Suthana shares her vision and insights into this cutting-edge field.

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  5. #57: Mallory Hacker & David Charles – Could DBS be slowing motor progression if applied very early?

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    #57: Mallory Hacker & David Charles – Could DBS be slowing motor progression if applied very early?

    Mallory Hacker is an Assistant Professor for Neurology in the team of David Charles, who is Professor of Neurology, Vice-Chair for Business Development and Strategy, as well as the Medical Director for Telehealth at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2006, after a stay at Alim Louis Benabids team in Grenoble, France, David started to investigate the question of whether subthalamic DBS could lead to slowing of motor progression in patients with early stages of Parkinson’s Disease. In a one-of-a kind trial, he collected data on the first patients which were published in 2014.In subsequent follow up trials, many of which were first-authored by Mallory Hacker, Class II evidence that supports this hypothesis could be established. It was a great joy to host Mallory in my lab in Berlin in 2022 and we have looked at the effects of lead locations on patients enrolled in the pilot trial. This is what convinced me that there might be something: The few patients that did not progress at all in their motor symptoms after two years were all precisely stimulated at the optimal location within the STN, while the ones that did progress, were more off target. Indeed, these same optimally placed patients had lower stimulation amplitudes and received less medication – but still had a clearly better outcome. Since the original trial, David and Mallory have been hard at work in trying to secure funding for a phase III pivotal trial, and we discuss how difficult this process has been, but also, that there is hope on the horizon, regarding the next steps!

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Andreas Horn interviews experts in the field of deep brain stimulation, noninvasive neuromodulation, functional brain imaging and neuroanatomy. Join us on our quest to interact with the human brain and thank you for your interest in science! Andreas Horn, M.D., Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and associate professor for neurology at Harvard Medical School.

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