A generic, rapid and robust platform for personalized functional circuit-guided neuromodulation targeting

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Neuromodulation requires precise targeting of brain circuits for treating neurological disorders.
• Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) is used for mapping brain circuits but faces clinical translation challenges.
• Current methods suffer from long processing times, lack of robustness, and absence of automated targeting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Unified Platform for Neuromodulation with Individualized Target Estimation (UNITE).
• To present UNITE as a generic, rapid, robust, and automated solution for personalized functional circuit-guided target planning.
• To address the clinical translation hurdles of rs-fMRI-based neuromodulation targeting.

Main Methods:

• UNITE utilizes DeepPrep, an end-to-end preprocessing pipeline for a tenfold speedup and improved robustness in rs-fMRI data.
• Automated targeting algorithms within UNITE map functional circuits and localize personalized targets.
• The platform includes quality control and verification reports, exporting target coordinates for neuronavigation systems.

Main Results:

• UNITE enables personalized neuromodulation target localization within 30 minutes on a local workstation.
• The platform demonstrated robustness and computational efficiency, outperforming state-of-the-art clinical pipelines.
• Currently supports transcranial magnetic stimulation for stroke rehabilitation and focused ultrasound for Parkinson's disease.

Conclusions:

• UNITE provides a significant advancement for personalized neuromodulation by enabling rapid, automated, and robust target localization.
• The platform is adaptable for various brain disorders and neuromodulation techniques, facilitating clinical translation.
• UNITE lowers the technical barrier for using advanced neuroimaging techniques in clinical practice.