Treatment of Brain Disorders using Closed-Loop Brain-Computer Interfaces

Abstract

Existing treatments for brain disorders are time and resource-intensive, requiring patients to continually attend therapy sessions or purchase medicine. Closed-loop brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) allow an implanted computer to monitor brain activity, recognize illness-associated patterns and impact brain activity through deep brain stimulation (DBS). This technology could improve existing treatments by replacing a lifetime of therapy or pharmaceuticals with a one-time surgery and a short calibration period. This paper discusses how BCIs could be paired with DBS to increase its responsiveness to assist patients with major depressive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder,and how a BCI could calibrate the stimulation pattern to improve function in patients with
Parkinson’s disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and neuropathic pain. BCIs are currently limited by a lack of flexibility and the foreign-body response, but organic electronic biomimetic neurons are being developed that could overcome these issues. BCIs may also cause concerns about patient autonomy, but open-source coding and electromagnetic shielding could be used to alleviate their fears. By giving patients control over certain aspects of their treatment and requiring less clinical intervention for DBS calibration, BCIs could increase patient autonomy and improve treatment outcomes.