Recessed electrode contacts to minimize tissue damage from deep brain stimulation

Abstract

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a well-established method of treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. A DBS electrode is surgically implanted and applies voltage pulses from its metal contacts to specific brain regions. The recessed flat contact displayed the greatest uniformity and least edge effect, but the VTA was much smaller than the other contact designs. The recessed curved contact had a comparable VTA to the surface flat contact while maintaining a much safer current density profile, which may be a worthwhile tradeoff for long term DBS patients. The goal of our study is to design an electrode contact geometry that displays the greatest uniformity in current density distribution to account for safety while keeping stimulation efficiency in mind.