Swiss AI brain ‘pacemaker’ helps Parkinson’s patients walk

AI brain pacemaker helps Parkinson's patients walk Keystone-SDA

A new brain pacemaker, developed in Switzerland, could help people with Parkinson’s disease to become more mobile.

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The system uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect patients’ current activity and automatically adjusts the brain stimulation accordingly.

Researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) presented their findings on Monday in the journal Nature Medicine.

Deep brain stimulation has been recognised for years as a proven treatment for advanced Parkinson’s disease. It often alleviates symptoms such as tremors or muscle stiffness.

However, as the universities explained in a press release, it often has only a limited effect on gait disorders, which severely restrict many sufferers.

This is precisely where the new technology comes in. An AI system analyses patients’ brain signals in real time and detects whether a person is currently sitting, standing or walking. Based on this detection, the system adjusts the intensity of the electrical impulses.

For the study, the researchers examined 35 Parkinson’s patients who had electrodes implanted in the so-called subthalamic nucleus. This deep brain region is a key target for deep brain stimulation.

Better results

According to the researchers, adaptive stimulation significantly improved the participants’ mobility. “I used to struggle to walk because my legs felt heavy or sometimes moved uncontrollably. Now that the stimulation adapts to my activity, I can walk better and for longer distances,” a study participant is quoted as saying in the press release.

The researchers see the results as an important proof of concept. However, before the technology can be used in everyday clinical practice, it must be tested in larger studies and over longer periods of time.

The research team is therefore planning further studies involving more patients to assess the long-term effectiveness of the therapy.

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Adapted from German with AI/mga

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