RESUMO
Advances in the spatiotemporal resolution and field-of-view of neuroimaging tools are driving mesoscale studies for translational neuroscience. On October 10, 2023, the Center for Mesoscale Mapping (CMM) at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Health Sciences Technology based Neuroimaging Training Program (NTP) hosted a symposium exploring the state-of-the-art in this rapidly growing area of research. "Mesoscale Brain Mapping: Bridging Scales and Modalities in Neuroimaging" brought together researchers who use a broad range of imaging techniques to study brain structure and function at the convergence of the microscopic and macroscopic scales. The day-long event centered on areas in which the CMM has established expertise, including the development of emerging technologies and their application to clinical translational needs and basic neuroscience questions. The in-person symposium welcomed more than 150 attendees, including 57 faculty members, 61 postdoctoral fellows, 35 students, and four industry professionals, who represented institutions at the local, regional, and international levels. The symposium also served the training goals of both the CMM and the NTP. The event content, organization, and format were planned collaboratively by the faculty and trainees. Many CMM faculty presented or participated in a panel discussion, thus contributing to the dissemination of both the technologies they have developed under the auspices of the CMM and the findings they have obtained using those technologies. NTP trainees who benefited from the symposium included those who helped to organize the symposium and/or presented posters and gave "flash" oral presentations. In addition to gaining experience from presenting their work, they had opportunities throughout the day to engage in one-on-one discussions with visiting scientists and other faculty, potentially opening the door to future collaborations. The symposium presentations provided a deep exploration of the many technological advances enabling progress in structural and functional mesoscale brain imaging. Finally, students worked closely with the presenting faculty to develop this report summarizing the content of the symposium and putting it in the broader context of the current state of the field to share with the scientific community. We note that the references cited here include conference abstracts corresponding to the symposium poster presentations.
RESUMO
There is growing interest in using adaptive neuromodulation to provide a more personalized therapy experience that might improve patient outcomes. Current implant technology, however, can be limited in its adaptive algorithm capability. To enable exploration of adaptive algorithms with chronic implants, we designed and validated the 'Picostim DyNeuMo Mk-1' (DyNeuMo Mk-1 for short), a fully-implantable, adaptive research stimulator that titrates stimulation based on circadian rhythms (e.g. sleep, wake) and the patient's movement state (e.g. posture, activity, shock, free-fall). The design leverages off-the-shelf consumer technology that provides inertial sensing with low-power, high reliability, and relatively modest cost. The DyNeuMo Mk-1 system was designed, manufactured and verified using ISO 13485 design controls, including ISO 14971 risk management techniques to ensure patient safety, while enabling novel algorithms. The system was validated for an intended use case in movement disorders under an emergency-device authorization from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The algorithm configurability and expanded stimulation parameter space allows for a number of applications to be explored in both central and peripheral applications. Intended applications include adaptive stimulation for movement disorders, synchronizing stimulation with circadian patterns, and reacting to transient inertial events such as posture changes, general activity, and walking. With appropriate design controls in place, first-in-human research trials are now being prepared to explore the utility of automated motion-adaptive algorithms.