Chakrabarty P, Negi S, Andrés RM, Favaro B, Singh B, Hilleary R, Arthur PK, Street IH, Cheung MK, Parsons M, et al. Facilitating conservation. Science [Internet]. 2017;356 (6335) :242–244.
Publisher's VersionAbstractWe asked young scientists from a variety of fields to address this issue: The changes required to preserve Earth's ecosystems and biodiversity (and human population) depend on human behavior and values, yet often conflict with current lifestyles. Describe one way that your field can improve
chakrabarty_et_al._-_2017_-_facilitating_conservation.pdf LaPlante R, Tang W, Peled N, Vallejo DI, Borzello M, Dougherty DD, Eskandar EN, Widge AS, Cash SS, Stufflebeam SM.
The interactive electrode localization utility: software for automatic sorting and labeling of intracranial subdural electrodes. International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery. 2017;12 (10) :1829–37.
AbstractExisting methods for sorting, labeling, registering, and across-subject localization of electrodes in intracranial encephalography (iEEG) often take hours of laborious work requiring manual inspection of radiological images. Methods We describe a method to automatically sort and label electrodes from subdural grids of known geometry. We also describe a new software package, the Interactive Electrode Localization Utility (IELU) which implements our sorting/labeling algorithm and presents a full pipeline for the registration, localization, and labeling of iEEG electrodes from CT and MR images. Results We validated our software against well established manual inspection methods in sixth subjects undergoing iEEG for medically intractable epilepsy. Our algorithm for sorting and labeling correctly identified 98% of the electrodes. Conclusions The sorting and labeling algorithm we describe offers nearly perfect performance and the software package we have distributed may lessen the onerous burden of registering sorting, labeling, and localizing iEEG electrodes by manual inspection.
10.1007_2fs11548-016-1504-2.pdf Philip NS, Nelson BG, Frohlich F, Lim KO, Widge AS, Carpenter LL.
Low-intensity transcranial current stimulation in psychiatry. American Journal of Psychiatry [Internet]. 2017;174 (7) :628–639.
Publisher's VersionAbstractNeurostimulation is rapidly emerging as an important treatment modality for psychiatric disorders. One of the fastest-growing and least-regulated approaches to noninvasive therapeutic stimulation involves the application of weak electrical currents. Widespread enthusiasm for low-intensity transcranial electrical current stimulation (tCS) is reflected by the recent surge in direct-to-consumer device marketing, do-it-yourself enthusiasm, and an escalating number of clinical trials. In the wake of this rapid growth, clinicians may lack sufficient information about tCS to inform their clinical practices. Interpretation of tCS clinical trial data is aided by familiarity with basic neurophysiological principles, potential mechanisms of action of tCS, and the complicated regulatory history governing tCS devices. A growing literature includes randomized controlled trials of tCS for major depression, schizophrenia, cognitive disorders, and substance use disorders. The relative ease of use and abundant access to tCS may represent a broad-reaching and important advance for future mental health care. Evidence supports application of one type of tCS, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), for major depression. However, tDCS devices do not have regulatory approval for treating medical disorders, evidence is largely inconclusive for other therapeutic areas, and their use is associated with some physical and psychiatric risks. One unexpected finding to arise from this review is that the use of cranial electrotherapy stimulation devices—the only category of tCS devices cleared for use in psychiatric disorders—is supported by low-quality evidence.
philip_et_al_2017_low-intensity_transcranial_current_stimulation_in_psychiatry.pdf Freeman DK, O'Brien JM, Kumar P, Daniels B, Irion RA, Shraytah L, Ingersoll BK, Magyar AP, Czarnecki A, Wheeler J, et al. A sub-millimeter, inductively powered neural stimulator. Frontiers in Neuroscience [Internet]. 2017;11.
Publisher's VersionAbstractWireless neural stimulators are being developed to address problems associated with traditional lead-based implants. However, designing wireless stimulators on the sub-millimeter scale (\textless1mm3) is challenging. As device size shrinks, it becomes difficult to deliver sufficient wireless power to operate the device. Here, we present a sub-millimeter, inductively powered neural stimulator consisting only of a coil to receive power, a capacitor to tune the resonant frequency of the receiver, and a diode to rectify the radio-frequency signal to produce neural excitation. By replacing any complex receiver circuitry with a simple rectifier, we have reduced the required voltage levels that are needed to operate the device from – 0.5 - 1V (e.g. for CMOS) to approximately 0.25 – 0.5V. This reduced voltage allows the use of smaller receive antennas for power, resulting in a device volume of 0.3 – 0.5mm3. The device was encapsulated in epoxy, and successfully passed accelerated lifetime tests in 80°C saline for two weeks. We demonstrate a basic proof-of-concept using stimulation with tens of microamps of current delivered to the sciatic nerve in rat to produce a motor response. The device is designed to operate in tissue up to approximately 5cm depth.
fnins-11-00659.pdf Widge AS, Ellard KK, Paulk AC, Basu I, Yousefi A, Zorowitz S, Gilmour A, Afzal A, Deckersbach T, Cash SS, et al. Treating refractory mental illness with closed-loop brain stimulation: progress towards a patient-specific transdiagnostic approach. Experimental Neurology. 2017;287 (4) :361–472.
AbstractMental disorders are a leading cause of disability, morbidity, and mortality among civilian and military populations. Most available treatments have limited efficacy, particularly in disorders where symptoms vary over relatively short time scales. Targeted modulation of neural circuits, particularly through open-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS), showed initial promise but has failed in blinded clinical trials. We propose a new approach, based on targeting neural circuits linked to functional domains that cut across diagnoses. Through that framework, which includes measurement of patients using six psychophysical tasks, we seek to develop a closed-loop DBS system that corrects dysfunctional activity in brain circuits underlying those domains. We present convergent preliminary evidence from functional neuroimaging, invasive human electrophysiology, and human brain stimulation experiments suggesting that this approach is feasible. Using the Emotional Conflict Resolution (ECR) task as an example, we show that emotion-related networks can be identified and modulated in individual patients. Invasive and non-invasive methodologies both identify a network between prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, insula, and amygdala. Further, stimulation in cingulate and amygdala changes patients' performance in ways that are linked to the task's emotional content. We present preliminary statistical models that predict this change and allow us to track it at a single-trial level. As these diagnostic and modeling strategies are refined and embodied in an implantable device, they offer the prospect of a new approach to psychiatric treatment and its accompanying neuroscience.
widge_et_al_2016_treating_refractory_mental_illness_with_closed-loop_brain_stimulation.pdf 