Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026
14:14
Targeting Neuronal Fiber Tracts for Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy Using Interactive, Patient-Specific Models
Published on: August 12, 2018
9.4K
Quantifying axonal responses in patient-specific models of subthalamic deep brain stimulation
Kabilar Gunalan1, Bryan Howell1, Cameron C McIntyre1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Neuroimage
|January 15, 2018
Summary
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) pathway-activation models (PAMs) predict brain circuitry modulation. Driving force (DF) models are more accurate than volume of tissue activated (VTA) models, but neither fully replicate field-cable (FC) models.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biophysics
- Computational modeling
Background:
- Medical imaging guides deep brain stimulation (DBS) targets, but precise brain circuitry modulation by DBS electric fields is unclear.
- Axonal activation is crucial for DBS therapeutic mechanisms, necessitating accurate modeling of DBS-induced effects.
- Pathway-activation models (PAMs) integrate DBS biophysical modeling with human brain connectome data to study modulated circuitry and clinical outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the accuracy of different PAMs for estimating DBS-induced axonal activation.
- To evaluate field-cable (FC), driving force (DF), and volume of tissue activated (VTA) models in the subthalamic region.
- To identify limitations of current simplified PAMs and the need for improved algorithms.
Main Methods:
- Performed a head-to-head comparison of FC, DF, and VTA PAMs.
- Evaluated DBS of three distinct axonal pathways in the subthalamic region.
- Assessed model accuracy across various stimulus parameters using patient-specific FC models as the gold standard.
Main Results:
- The DF PAM demonstrated significantly higher accuracy than VTA PAMs.
- No simplified PAM (DF or VTA) accurately replicated the patient-specific FC PAM results for all pathways and stimulus parameters.
- Results highlight discrepancies between simplified models and gold-standard biophysical simulations.
Conclusions:
- Simplified PAMs like DF and VTA have limitations in accurately predicting DBS-induced axonal activation.
- Current simplified models do not fully capture the complexity of DBS modulation compared to detailed biophysical models.
- Novel algorithms are needed that balance biophysical realism with computational efficiency for DBS research.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Dose-Response Relationship: Selectivity and Specificity
9.9K
Drugs exert their therapeutic effects by interacting with receptors, enzymes, or ion channels that are present throughout the human body. The strength and duration of the interaction between a drug and its target receptor are characterized by the selectivity and specificity of the drug. Selectivity refers to a drug's strong preference for its intended target over other targets. For instance, isoprenaline, a non-selective β-adrenergic agonist, interacts with both β1- and...
9.9K
02:30Quantifying Work
24.6K
As a system undergoes a change, its internal energy can change, and energy can be transferred from the system to the surroundings, or from the surroundings to the system.
24.6K
01:21Neurons: The Axon
7.6K
Axons are long, cytoplasmic processes of nerve cells capable of propagating electrical impulses known as action potentials. The cytoplasm or axoplasm of an axon contains neurofibrils, neurotubules, small vesicles, lysosomes, mitochondria, and various enzymes, all encased within the axolemma, the plasma membrane of the axon.
The axon attaches to the cell body at a cone-shaped elevation called the axon hillock. The initial part of the axon, closest to the hillock, is known as the initial segment....
The axon attaches to the cell body at a cone-shaped elevation called the axon hillock. The initial part of the axon, closest to the hillock, is known as the initial segment....
7.6K
01:29Pharmacodynamic Models: Direct Effect Model and Indirect Response Model
17
Pharmacodynamic models are essential tools in understanding the relationship between drug concentrations and their effects on biological systems. By characterizing the dynamics of drug action, these models guide dose selection, optimize therapeutic efficacy, and inform the development of new drugs. Two major classes of pharmacodynamic models include direct effect and indirect response models.Direct Effect ModelsDirect effect models describe the immediate relationship between drug concentration...
17
01:58Cell Specific Gene Expression
16.6K
Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...
16.6K
02:46Quantifying Heat
62.4K
Thermal Energy Microscopically, thermal energy is the kinetic energy associated with the random motion of atoms and molecules. Temperature is a quantitative measure of “hot” or “cold”, which depends on the amount of thermal energy. When the atoms and molecules in an object are moving or vibrating quickly, they have a higher average kinetic energy (KE) (or higher thermal energy), and the object is perceived as “hot”, or it is described as being at a higher temperature. When the...
62.4K