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Cerebellar Deep Brain Stimulation during fMRI: Initial Findings and Simulation-Informed Thermal Assessment.
Benson Yang1, Ian O Bledsoe2, Skyler Deutsch3
1From the Physical Sciences Platform (B.Y., S.J.G.), Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|March 12, 2026
Summary
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the cerebellum is promising for movement disorders. This study found cerebellar DBS is safe for functional MRI, with minimal heating risks and preliminary evidence of brain activity changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is being explored for cerebellar disorders like dyskinetic cerebral palsy, ataxia, and stroke.
- Functional MRI (fMRI) can reveal mechanisms of DBS symptom response, but safety and feasibility data are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the safety and feasibility of performing fMRI during cerebellar DBS.
- To evaluate radiofrequency-induced heating risks associated with cerebellar DBS hardware during MRI.
Main Methods:
- Simulations using postoperative CT images to estimate radiofrequency-induced heating from cerebellar DBS hardware.
- Acquisition of fMRI data from one anesthetized patient with cerebellar DBS ON, OFF, and cycled ON/OFF.
Main Results:
- Simulations indicated acceptable radiofrequency-induced heating, with peak temperature increases of 0.6-1.5°C under tested MRI conditions.
- Preliminary fMRI data showed stimulation-induced brain activations and functional connectivity changes that align with cerebellar anatomy.
Conclusions:
- Cerebellar DBS appears safe for use with fMRI, with minimal heating risks under specific MRI parameters.
- This study provides foundational evidence for using fMRI to investigate cerebellar DBS mechanisms in clinical trials.
