Intralaminar thalamic deep brain stimulation (ILN-DBS) has been shown to improve cognition and spatial memory acquisition. Could it have a similar effect in dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases that cause severe cognitive dysfunction?
That was the question researchers addressed in the study Intralaminar Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation Ameliorates the Memory Deficit and the Dendritic Regression in β-Amyloid Infusion Rats, led by Sheng-Tzung Tsai, MD. Dr. Tsai presented the team’s findings today during the 82nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS),
Dr. Tsai said: “We implanted an intraventricular β-amyloid protein infusion pump and deep brain stimulation electrodes over rats’ skulls and achieved target accuracy. To elucidate anatomical neural plasticity, we used an intracellular dye injection method to delineate the dendritic spine of neurons over the cortex and hippocampus.”
According to Dr. Tsai, growing evidence shows the efficacy of deep brain stimulation in patients with neuropsychiatric diseases. “In the future, we aim to identify a correlation between arousal status and memory acquisition and the detailed mechanism underlying this cognitive improvement. We may achieve optimal DBS strategy for patients with cognitive impairment.”
Study co-authors include Li-Jin Chen, PhD; Shin-Yuan Chen, MD, MSc; and Guo-Fang Tseng, PhD.
