Phantom-Enhanced High Mechanical Accuracy for Frame-Based Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure that depends on high-accuracy targeting of structures to implant electrodes within the brain. The positioning of these electrodes in the brain determines the long-term efficacy of treating diseases such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, or dystonia. Misplaced electrodes in DBS can lead to poor efficacy and stimulation-induced side effects. Widespread targeting errors and variability have been published throughout the literature. As such, improvement in targeting accuracy is needed to enhance the quality of the procedures. A stereotactic phantom was utilized to test and adjust targeting before the surgical placement in the brain for 91 sequential electrodes. The tip of the microelectrode, the first rigid point in time, was measured and compared to the planned target. The technique utilized a to-target cannula with an XY stage that allowed x-axis and y-axis adjustments and correction for inaccuracies relative to the phantom. A calculation was developed to convert anatomical angles (sagittal and coronal) provided by commercial planning stations to spherical angles to calculate points along a trajectory. Error calculations included each dimensional axis, Euclidean error, and radial error. Bends in the cannula and microelectrode were observed and corrected by referencing the phantom. All 91 first-pass tracks traversed the intended target, and three electrodes required a second mapping track beyond the first penetration due to neurophysiological and intraoperative testing. The results showed overall ultra-high (0-0.5 mm) to high (>0.5-1 mm) accuracy, an average Euclidean error of 0.66±0.30 mm, and a radial error of 0.45±0.28 mm with dimensional errors of less than 0.5 mm per axis. The utilization of a stereotactic phantom is an important tool to enhance the stereotactic targeting before insertion into the brain. This phantom technique yielded ultra-high to high accuracy in error calculations. Future methods and studies should focus on error minimization to enhance these DBS mechanical accuracy and correlations with clinical outcomes.