Bengaluru: Neuroscience is a complex study of the nervous system. The progress of AI in neuroscience has led to the treatment of many disorders. It offers precision treatment for neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders.
Artificial intelligence simulates human intelligence in machines programmed to mimic humans.
Precision medicine considers genetic variability, environment, lifestyle and precise approaches for treatment and prevention of diseases. It predicts the most effective strategies for an individual patient.
Researchers in NIMHANS have demonstrated the benefits of a tailored dose of electric current in treating brain disorders. They applied it to specific regions of the brain using software developed.
AI drives neuroscience forward and unlocks the secrets of the human brain. The AI-powered software developed by Dr. Bhattacharjee and Dr Ranjan Kashyap, AI experts from the Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology at NIMHANS uses (tDCS) transcranial direct current stimulation.
NIMHANS is conducting a clinical trial in the Department of Neurophysiology jointly with Dr Bhattacharjee and Dr P T Sivakumar, Prof and Head of Geriatric Psychiatry. The trial is a longitudinal study that is likely to extend till the year 2027.
Transcranial direct current stimulation tDCS is a brain stimulation method that modulates cortical excitability, producing facilitatory or inhibitory effects upon different behaviours. tDCS is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that uses low electrical current to influence neural activity.
The software calculates parameters based on brain size, shape and magnetic resonance imaging scans. It calculates the specific dose required for each patient, highlighting the regions in the brain that need to be targeted for different disorders.
After evaluating all the size, shape and scan parameters, the tDCS machine delivers low doses of currents to stimulate areas of the brain affected by the disease. Furthermore, she adds only a handful of institutes have this capability.
The personalized tDCS will modulate electrical activity and strengthen brain areas to make new white matter tracts.
This technology could also be effective in treating other brain disorders like stroke, Parkinson's disease, depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
1. Gopinath, Nishanth. “Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience: An Update on Fascinating Relationships.” Process Biochemistry 125 (February 1, 2023): 113–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procbio.2022.12.011
2. Thair, Hayley, Amy L. Holloway, Roger Newport, and Alastair D. Smith. “Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): A Beginner’s Guide for Design and Implementation.” Frontiers in Neuroscience 11 (November 22, 2017): 641. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2017.00641.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Swati Sharma/MSM)
