Non-invasive combined electrical and acoustical deep brain stimulation

In state-of-the-art deep brain stimulation electrodes are surgically implanted in the brain of the
patient. These electrodes will then electromagnetically stimulate the surrounding neural tissue.
The goal of this procedure is to reduce symptoms in patients suffering from movement and
neuropsychiatric disorders, e.g. Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, chronic pain, ...
However, the main disadvantage of this type of neurostimulation is that invasive surgery is
necessary for the placement of the electrodes. The objective of this research proposal is to
investigate the possibility of using a combination of electrical and acoustical stimulation to target
the deep brain nuclei non-invasively.
The main idea is to combine the advantages of two different types of neurostimulation to make
non-invasive deep brain stimulation possible. While electrical stimulation is more effective to
activate excitable tissue, acoustical simulation has higher spatial accuracy. Consequentially, our
objective is to use electrical direct current stimulation to alter the spontaneity of neuronal firing.
The actual activation of the targeted neurons will then be achieved by accurate focused ultrasound
stimulation.