A Miracle for P1: Tunnelling Deep Into the Brain with Deep Brain Stimulation

Tuesday - December 12 2023, 08:43 UTC - 11 months ago

At 21 years old, a young woman underwent a surgery to implant electrodes into the thalamus to better control her cognitive symptoms from a severe brain injury due to a accident. After three months, her scores improved by up to 52%, far exceeding expectations. But the therapy still carries risk and requires brain surgery.

At 21 years old, a young woman’s life was turned upside down after suffering a blow to the head and severe brain injury during a devastating traffic accident. She’s been living with the consequences ever since, struggling to focus long enough to complete simple everyday tasks. Juggling multiple chores was nearly impossible. Her memory would slip. Words would get stuck on the tip of her tongue. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own. Constantly in motion, it was difficult to sit still. Depression and anxiety clouded her mind. Eighteen years later, she underwent a surgery that again changed her life. After carefully mapping her brain, surgeons implanted electrodes deep into the thalamus. Made of two bulbous structures—one on each hemisphere—the thalamus is the Grand Central Station of the brain, its connections reaching far and wide across multiple regions. A stimulator, implanted near her collar bone, automatically activated the neural implant for 12 hours a day. The results were striking. In just three months, her scores improved on a standard test measuring myriad cognitive functions. For the first time in decades, she no longer felt overwhelmed throughout her day. She began to love reading and other hobbies. "I just—I want to think," she told the researchers. "I am using my mind…I don’t know why, it just makes me laugh, but it’s amazing to me that I enjoy doing these things." .

The woman, known as P1, took part in a small, ambitious trial seeking to reverse cognitive troubles from brain injuries. Led by Dr. Jaimie Henderson at Stanford University, the clinical trial recruited six people to see if electrically stimulating the thalamus restored the participants’ ability to logically reason, make plans, and focus on a given task. On average, five of the participants’ scores improved by up to 52 percent, far outperforming the team’s modest goals by over five-fold. Because the stimulation is automatic, the volunteers went about their daily lives as the implant worked its therapeutic effects under the hood. The benefits were noticeable. One participant said he could finally concentrate on TV shows, whereas previously he struggled due to short attention span. Another said he could now track multiple activities and switch attention—like keeping up a conversation while putting groceries away. While promising, the therapy requires brain surgery, which can be risky. One participant withdrew midway due to infection. But for those who tolerated the therapy, it’s been a life-changer not just for them, but for their families. "I got my daughter back. It’s a miracle," said a member of P1’s family.

Tunneling Deep .

Deep brain stimulation, the core of the therapy, has a long history. The idea is simple. The brain relies on multiple circuits working in tandem. These connections can break due to disease or injury, making it impossible for electrical signals to coordinate and form thoughts or decisions. One solution is to bridge broken brain networks with a neural implant. Thanks to sophisticated implants and AI, we can now tap into the brain and spinal cord’s electrical chatter, decode their intent, and use this "neura-lingo" to treat conditions like Parkinson’s and stroke.