health
Researchers may have discovered a new way to target the cause of certain brain diseases.
A study led by scientists at Massachusetts General Brigham University found that deep brain stimulation (DBS) can treat Parkinson's disease, dystonia (a muscle disorder condition that causes repetitive and twisting movements), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette syndrome. .
The findings, published in Nature Neuroscience on February 22, could help doctors determine new treatments for these diseases.
The study included 261 patients from around the world: 70 with dystonia, 127 with Parkinson's disease, 50 with OCD, and 14 with Tourette syndrome.
The researchers implanted electrodes in each participant's brain and used specialized software to determine which brain circuits were malfunctioning in each of the four diseases.
“Simply put, when a brain circuit malfunctions, it can act as a brake on certain brain functions that that circuit normally performs,” said Dr. Andreas Horn, MD, said in a press release. release.
“Applying DBS may release the brakes and partially restore functionality.”
Horn, one of 39 researchers from 16 institutions who co-authored the study, elaborated further in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
“Based on our findings, we can now better understand why deep stimulation of the brain's small subcortical structures helps patients with a variety of disorders,” he said.
Doctors say that in each disorder, different brain networks were found to be “dysfunctional”, causing the condition.
“Identifying these 'dysfunctional networks' may help us better understand the four diseases and better target neuromodulation to alleviate symptoms and help patients.” said.
In three cases, the researchers found that applying DBS produced “preliminary improved results.”
At Massachusetts General Hospital, a female patient in her early 20s was diagnosed with severe, treatment-resistant OCD.
After receiving electrode implantation and targeted stimulation, researchers measured a “significant improvement” in her symptoms one month after treatment, according to the announcement.
Dr. Shannon Dean, a pediatric neurologist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Maryland, who was not involved in the study, shared her reaction to the findings.
“This study is an elegant demonstration of how treatment-focused research and basic mechanism-based research can benefit each other,” she told FOX News Digital.
“The authors used deep brain stimulation electrodes, an invasive surgical treatment for a variety of neurological disorders when drug therapy alone is insufficient,” Dean continued.
“I was interested in seeing how researchers could use that discovery to actually refine the exact way they treat some patients, and see their symptoms improve as a result,” she said. Told.
Given the small number of participants, Dean emphasized that the results should be interpreted with caution.
“We need to replicate what the authors found for these diseases to see if their conclusions are correct,” she says.
“But what they found is exciting and makes sense based on what we already know about these disorders. It shows where future research should focus its attention. .”
“This study provides hope for people living with these diseases that are resistant to standard treatments,” she added.
Dr. Arif Dalvi, a neurologist at St. Mary's Medical Center in Florida, also commented on the study as an outside expert.
“Deep brain stimulation has been part of standard treatment for neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease and tremors for decades, but the technology continues to evolve,” he told Fox News Digital.
“This analysis identified a 'sweet spot' within the circuitry that could significantly reduce symptoms, demonstrating the effectiveness of DBS in modulating neural activity.”
The findings highlight the need for individualized treatment, Dalvi noted.
“This highlights the need for neurologists to carefully assess each patient as a unique individual and tailor specific treatment plans, rather than working from general best practices or treatment guidelines. ” he said.
According to researchers, research was limited
The study is seen as the first step in a long process, Horn said.
He told Fox News Digital: “This study is based on retrospective data. The primary results should be confirmed by prospective trials, which serve as the gold standard for accumulating evidence in science and medicine.” he said.
The study's sample size was also relatively small, especially for Tourette's, he said.
“Globally, not many patients have undergone deep brain stimulation surgery for this disease,” Horn says.
The study is a first step toward defining what researchers call “human dysfunction,” a set of connections in the human brain that can malfunction in certain neurological or psychiatric diseases. be.
“We first paint a picture of dysfunction, but we need additional data to complete the picture and map other symptoms onto human brain circuitry,” Horn says.
While the study results may not yet lead to dramatic changes, they may help experienced clinicians fine-tune their approach to neurological treatment, Horn said.
“Additional clarity and small improvements here and there could be given to make the intervention more successful,” Horn said. “However, the information should not be followed blindly and should be verified in prospective studies.”
Researchers have already begun planning clinical trials to test the results.
As Dalvi pointed out, it will be important to develop more sophisticated mapping techniques and understand the long-term effects of deep brain stimulation.
“Furthermore, extending this approach to other brain regions and disorders could lead to the discovery of new treatments and usher in a new era in the treatment of neurological diseases,” he added.
Load more…
{{#isDisplay}}
{{/isDisplay}}{{#isAniviewVideo}}
{{/isAniviewVideo}}{{#isSRVideo}}
{{/isSR video}}