29 Mar 2024
Saturday 11 June 2016 - 15:52
Story Code : 218007

Iranian researchers to build DBS electrode to treat addiction

Iranian researchers to build DBS electrode to treat addiction
TEHRAN, Jun. 11 (MNA) Head of Cellular and Molecular Research Center at Iran Uni. of Medical Sciences said a team of researchers are currently working on a project to build Deep brain stimulation(DBS) electrodes for treating Parkinsons disease and addiction.


Mohammad Taghi Joghataei, the project manager, told Mehr News that his team is working on a procedure to study a variety of disabling neurological symptomsmost commonly the debilitating symptoms of Parkinsons disease (PD), as well as addiction in which the base of the brain is altered.

He noted that the DBS project has three phases including tests on mice, monkeys and finally humans,saying in the first phase, a team of engineers at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of University of Tehran begun building electrodes that cause brain stimulation. Currently, these electrodes which are used in brain surgeries have been tested on small animals such as mice and bigger animals such as monkeys.

Joghataei went on to add that the project has been launched two years ago and the third phase includes testing the electrodes on humans; last year, the experiment on mice was conducted successfully. We began testing on monkeys since March and if the results are reported as successful, we will conclude that the test will also work on humans, he explained.

He maintained that the electrode used on the monkeys is of the same kind that will be tested on humans.

Since the costs of building and planting electrodes in the brain is very high, we were unable to use them in brain surgeries in Iran, but if the project achieves good results, we can stop the import of electrodes from abroad, he said.

The DBS project is currently being conducted by researchers from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Tehran and Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hazrat Rasoul Medical Complex.

By Mehr News Agency

https://theiranproject.com/vdchv6niq23nzvd.01t2.html
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