DBS Think Tank

Sign up for the 2026 Dystonia Think Tank to access cutting-edge updates in dystonia research. This event defines where the field is moving next and offers a comprehensive look at emerging data and clinical trends. Sign up today: ufl.zoom.us/meeting/regist…

Virtual registration is now open for the 2026 Dystonia Think Tank. Join leading experts to discuss the latest advancements in research and the strategic direction of the field! Register here: ufl.zoom.us/meeting/regist…

Exposome and brain aging: your environment may be shaping your brain faster than you think. The exposome refers to the sum of all environmental exposures you experience across your life including air, water, social conditions and policies. Hernandez and colleagues describe in a new paper in Nature Medicine how the exposome across 34 countries influences brain aging and risk for cognitive decline. Key Points: - Combined environmental exposures explained far more about brain aging than any single factor alone. - Physical exposures like air pollution, temperature and limited green space were linked to structural brain aging. - Social exposures like inequality, reduced rights and poverty were linked to functional brain aging and brain network changes. My take: This is one of those papers that shifts how we think. Brain aging is not just about genes or disease, it is about the world we live in. The cumulative burden of exposures may quietly accelerate aging even before symptoms appear. If we want to change brain health, we must think beyond the clinic and into our communities. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me: 1- Your environment is not background noise, it is an active driver of brain health across your lifetime. 2- Air quality, water, climate and access to green space may directly influence how fast your brain ages. 3- Social factors like inequality, education and community stability matter just as much as biology. 4- Multiple small exposures can combine and amplify risk more than any single factor alone. 5- Improving environments and policies may be one of the most powerful ways to protect brain health for future generations. nature.com/articles/s4159… #parkinson #alzheimer #dementia

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience is accepting submissions for the DBS Think Tank: Updates in Neurotechnology and Neuromodulation Volume VI. The submission window has been extended through April 9. Access the research topic page for more information: frontiersin.org/research-topic…

Calling all neuromodulation researchers. We are looking for the latest updates in neurotechnology for the DBS Think Tank Volume VI special issue. You now have until April 9 to submit your manuscripts. Details and submission link: frontiersin.org/research-topic…

Montiel et al present a new approach towards pediatric DBS - a "Lifespan approach to neuromodulation". A very reasonable idea for these complex conditions but do we have the healthcare resources to support this? Read about the idea here …mentdisorders.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/md…

New research in Nature just changed how I think about Parkinson’s disease. For years, we treated it as a problem in isolated motor areas that control the hand or foot. But brain imaging across 863 participants suggests something bigger. Parkinson’s may involve a whole body control system in the brain called the Somato-Cognitive Action Network (SCAN). Researchers found that deep brain regions like the substantia nigra become overconnected to this network. Treatments that work, like levodopa and deep-brain stimulation, seem to improve symptoms by normalizing this hyperconnectivity. In a small clinical trial, patients who received magnetic stimulation targeting the SCAN improved twice as much as those treated at traditional limb motor areas. This suggests Parkinson’s might not just be a movement disorder of isolated regions. It may be a network disorder of whole body control. Early results, but a fascinating shift in how we may treat the disease.

The deadline to submit to the DBS Think Tank Volume VI special collection has been extended to April 9. Don’t miss the chance to feature your neuromodulation and neurotechnology research in this @FrontiersIn collection. Submit here: frontiersin.org/research-topic…

Very interesting study by Latypov et al on using brain age analysis techniques to characterize pediatric dystonia. We do not have clear neuroimaging biomarkers for primary dystonia and this may help shed light on global changes …mentdisorders.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/md…

Submit your latest research to the DBS Think Tank Special Collection: Updates in Neurotechnology and Neuromodulation Volume VI. The submission deadline has been officially extended to April 9, 2026. View the call for papers here: frontiersin.org/research-topic…

Adaptive DBS and the future of walking: Proceedings is out from the XIII annual DBS Think Tank. Adaptive DBS refers to a form of deep brain stimulation where the device senses brain signals and automatically adjusts stimulation in real time, instead of delivering constant stimulation. Chance Fleeting and colleagues just dropped a new paper in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience summarizing the 13th Annual DBS Think Tank held at the Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida. The meeting gathered engineers, neuroscientists, industry partners and health care providers to discuss the evolving landscape of DBS, including adaptive stimulation for walking and more broad brain network therapies. Key points on the 'walking work:' - Adaptive DBS synchronized to the walking cycle (Doris Wang lab at UCSF) can adjust stimulation during specific phases of gait and has shown improvements in symmetry, variability and fall reduction in Parkinson’s disease. - Neural signals from the subthalamic nucleus and other brain regions can decode mobility states such as sitting, standing and walking, allowing stimulation to switch automatically to gait optimized settings. - Modern DBS is shifting from targeting a single brain location to targeting distributed brain networks and to using biomarkers to determine where, when and in whom stimulation should occur. My take: The DBS field is rapidly moving toward smarter stimulation. Instead of delivering the same signal continuously, next generation systems can sense brain activity, recognize behavior and adjust therapy dynamically. This shift toward adaptive and network guided stimulation may one day help to address some of the most stubborn Parkinson’s symptoms such as gait freezing and falls. Please read and decide on your won as I am biased as a co-author and participant in the meeting. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me: 1- Walking problems in Parkinson’s frequently persisted even when tremor and stiffness improved, making gait a critical target for next generation DBS strategies. 2- Adaptive DBS can synchronize stimulation to real world behaviors such as stepping, creating therapy that matches the brain’s natural timing. 3- Brain network mapping is revealing that DBS outcomes depend not only on where stimulation occurs, but also on who receives it and when stimulation is delivered. 4- Neural sensing technologies now allow implanted devices to record brain signals continuously, opening the door to automated and personalized therapy adjustments. 5- The future of DBS will likely blend sensing, AI driven decoding and adaptive stimulation so therapy responds dynamically to how folks move and function in daily life. frontiersin.org/journals/human… @DBSThinkTank @ParkinsonDotOrg #parkinson #depression

New unit paper on “Decoding pre-movement neural activity from thalamic LFPs for adaptive neurostimulation in tremor patients”, published in Neurocomputing. mrcbndu.ox.ac.uk/papers/decodin… @MRCBNDU @NDCNOxford @OxfordMedSci @UniofOxford

Share a case for expert discussion! loom.ly/aixrunM

The Functional Neurosurgery Fellowship Match is now open! 🔔 Applications are live for PGY-5 or later residents pursuing a functional neurosurgery fellowship. If functional neurosurgery is your future, don’t wait. 👉Learn more and apply: bit.ly/FunctionalNeur… @JuliePilitsis

Our goal for the next Annual DBS Think Tank is to tackle the subjects that matter most to you. We are open to all suggestions for keynote speakers and panel topics. Drop your recommendations in the link below and help us shape the conversation. fixel.ufhealth.org/dbs-think-tank…

As we build the schedule for the next DBS Think Tank, we are looking for a mix of established voices and new ideas. If you have heard a great talk recently or are following a trend that belongs in our next session, let us know your thoughts. fixel.ufhealth.org/dbs-think-tank…

The best insights at the DBS Think Tank come from our community. We are looking for speakers doing impactful work and topics that are currently driving the industry forward. Who would you like to see on the stage for our next event? fixel.ufhealth.org/dbs-think-tank…

Closely monitoring the debate on the methodological foundations of lesion network mapping. Given its transformative role in clinical neuroscience, determining the validity of these critiques is vital for the future of lesion-based connectomics.

When air shifts the brain, physiology can save the day during DBS surgery. Microelectrode recording is a technique that listens to real time brain cell signals during surgery in an effort to confirm the location of a target. Walker-Pizarro and colleagues describe in a new paper in Tremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements a real world DBS case where 'pneumocephalus' threatened accurate lead placement, and how physiology changed the outcome. Key Points: - Intraoperative pneumocephalus can shift deep brain targets by several millimeters and quietly undermine image based DBS accuracy. - Microelectrode recording exposed a mismatch between planned imaging and true subthalamic nucleus location. - The technique guided a major corrective adjustment. - Physiology guided repositioning and restored a wider therapeutic window and produced a strong motor benefit. My take: This case is a reminder that the brain is dynamic during surgery. Imaging offers us a map, however physiology tells us where we truly are when the terrain moves. Nur is a fellow at UF and I am an author on this study. I am biased, so please read for yourself and decide. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me: 1- Brain shift is not rare, and even small shifts can matter when margins are measured in millimeters. 2- Microelectrode recording acts as a real time safeguard when anatomy is no longer static. 3- Low stimulation thresholds and changes in MER are warning signs that should not be ignored. 4- Correcting course during surgery can simplify programming and potentially improve long term outcomes . 5- Blending imaging precision w/ physiology can be powerful. tremorjournal.org/articles/10.53… @tremorjournal @FixelInstitute @ParkinsonDotOrg @DBSThinkTank

Here is an excellent review article on the medical treatment of essential tremor by Dash and colleagues. loom.ly/7b3mW9w