Unique Education at Grove School of Engineering, The City College of New York – features Neural Engineering lab in BME including Dr. Simon Kelly and Dr. Marom Bikson and several students.
What makes CCNY a unique place nationally for undergraduate and gradates students to obtain training in state-of-the-art research techniques and preparation for life long learning and success. In Dr. Bikson’s word “grit”.
Watch a brief video of Dr. Bikson introducing research on the mechanisms of tDCS as part of the 2014 Dose Response Conference
In French. Mag 6, 2014.
Watch it here
Special lecture Efren Alvarez Salvado from Santiago Casal’s lab, Spain.
He will talk about “Information’s Gate: Network plasticity in the hippocampus’.
Here the link for more information of the research conducted in his lab: http://in.umh.es/grupos-detalle.aspx?grupo=51
The lecture will be in Steinman Hall room 560 tomorrow, Thursday June 5 at 2:00 PM.
Congratulations to DR Davide Reato.
Targeted therapies using electrical and magnetic neural stimulation for the treatment of chronic pain in spinal cord injury
Neuroimage 85 (2014) 1003-1013
Ingrid Moreno-Duarte , Leslie R. Morse, Mahtab Alam, Marom Bikson, Ross Zafonte, Felipe Fregni
Download PDF: Bikson_targetedtherapy Pubmed link
Chronic neuropathic pain is one of the most common and disabling symptoms in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Over two-thirds of subjects with SCI suffer from chronic pain influencing quality of life, rehabilitation, and recovery. Given the refractoriness of chronic pain to most pharmacological treatments, the majority of individuals with SCI report worsening of this condition over time. Moreover, only 4–6% of patients in this cohort report improvement. Novel treatments targeting mechanisms associated with pain-maladaptive plasticity, such as electromagnetic neural stimulation, may be desirable to improve outcomes. To date, few, small clinical trials have assessed the effects of invasive and noninvasive nervous system stimulation on pain after SCI.
Clinical Neurophysiology 2014 [epub]
PDF (pre-print) Bikson_tSDCS_model
PubMed link
The progression of tsDCS as an effective therapeutic modality in the treatment of movement disorders and neurorehabilitation depends on a series rigorous clinical trials. With a near infinite combination of dose designs and trial protocols, the evolution of this clinical work will greatly benefit from effective tsDCS models.
See also the Soterix tsDCS device here
Today Berkan Guleyupoglu successfully defended his masters thesis!!
Abstract: Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) encompasses all methods of non-invasive current application to the brain used in research and clinical practice. We present the first comprehensive and technical review, explaining the evolution of tES in both terminology and dosage over the past 100 years of research to present day. Current transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation (tPCS) approaches such as Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) descended from Electrosleep (ES) through Cranial Electro-stimulation Therapy (CET), Transcerebral Electrotherapy (TCET), and NeuroElectric Therapy (NET) while others like Transcutaneous Cranial Electrical Stimulation (TCES) descended from Electroanesthesia (EA) through Limoge, and Interferential Stimulation. Prior to a contemporary resurgence in interest, variations of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation were explored intermittently, including Polarizing current, Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS), and Transcranial Micropolarization. The development of these approaches alongside Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and pharmacological developments are considered. Both the roots and unique features of contemporary approaches such as transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) and transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS) are discussed. Trends and incremental developments in electrode montage and waveform spanning decades are presented leading to the present day. Commercial devices, seminal conferences, and regulatory decisions are noted. This is concluded with six rules on how increasing medical and technological sophistication may now be leveraged for broader success and adoption of tES.
Despite this history, questions regarding the efficacy of ES remain including optimal dose (electrode placement and waveform). An investigation into brain electric field and current density produced by various montages that are historically relevant to ES was done to evaluate how these montages effect the brain. MRI-derived head models that were segmented using an automated segmentation algorithm and manual corrections were solved for four different electrode montages. The montages that were used are as follows: Sponge electrode on left and right eyes (active), Sponge electrodes over left and right mastoids (return); Sponge electrodes above left and right eyes (active), Sponge electrodes over left and right mastoids (return); High-Definition (HD) electrodes on AF3 and AF4 (active), 5×7 cm sponge on neck (return); HD electrodes on AF3 and AF4 (active), 5×7 sponge electrode on Iz (return). A high concentration of electric field was found on the optic nerve, with levels lowered as the electrodes moved further away from the eyes. There was also a moderate current density on the amygdala, a center involved with anxiety, as well as high electric fields on the brain stem which are centers for sleep.
Understanding tDCS effects in schizophrenia: a systematic review of clinical data and an integrated computation modeling analysis
Expert Rev. Med. Devices 11(4)
Andre Russowsky Brunoni, Pedro Shiozawa, Dennis Truong, Daniel C Javitt, He ́lio Elkis, Felipe Fregni, Marom Bikson
by AMY STANDEN
May 19, 2014 3:24 AM ET
Listen here
WIRED magazine published two major articles on transcranial Direct Current Stimulation. The article focused on clinical trials and technology features Dr. Marom Bikson as well as High-Definition tDCS which was invented at CCNY and commercialized by Soterix Medical.
R21 (2 years): Modulation of blood-brain-barrier (BBB) permeability by tDCS relevant electric fields
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive electrical stimulation technique investigated for a broad range of medical and performance indications. Understanding the cellular mechanisms of tDCS will increase the rigor of ongoing studies and provide a rational basis for dose optimization. Prior mechanistic studies have focused exclusively on direct polarization of neuronal membranes by direct current stimulation (DCS). We propose to test the hypothesis that tDCS directly and transiently modulates blood-brain-barrier (BBB) function, which in turn would modulate neuronal activity. Our approach is to use state-of-the-art animal and tissue models and characterization to determine if a new-class of cellular targets, namely endothelial cells, respond to DCS. These approaches including multi-photon transcranial quantitative imaging of vascular permeability during and after DCS and isolation of molecular and generic responses of endothelial barriers. Because understanding every cellular target of stimulation is required for a comprehensive mechanism, the modulation of BBB by tDCS, in conjunction with direct neuronal effects, is novel and critical to research. This study will be the first to establish the feasibility of direct BBB actions by tDCS as well as quantitatively predict the impact of these changes on neuronal function.
R03 (one year): Wireless Pulse Oximetry (WiPOX) for Diagnosing Intra-Operative Ischemia
Tissue ischemia is a major cause of wound dehiscence or anastomotic leakage
resulting in significant morbidity and mortality and occurs at a rate of 15 to 25%. Although
measurement of systemic blood oxygenation status by pulse oximetry on the finger is a
mandatory requirement for every single patient while in the hospital, there are no devices or
methods available to measure tissue oxygenation following complex surgical resections and
reconstructions in the operating room. Increasingly, surgical procedures are performed by
minimally invasive techniques, which add complexity to the problem, as surgeons do not have
the opportunity to directly touch, feel or visualize the organs. In a collaboration between The
City College of New York (CCNY) bioengineering design team and Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center (MSKCC) surgeons, we have successfully designed, constructed and tested a
novel wireless, handheld intraoperative oximetry (WiPOX) device, which provides real-time,
accurate, and convenient intraoperative monitoring of the tissue oxygenation ensuring tissue
viability thereby improving surgical outcomes, decreasing mortality, patient hospitalization and
the associated costs. In this R03 proposal, based on the feedback from the ongoing clinical trial,
we will enhance device performance and accuracy through two further innovations:
incorporation of onboard pressure sensors to allow reliable tissue contact and enhancement of
S/N through wireless integration with a systemic pulse oximeter. A pipeline for preclinical and
clinical testing is in place. These innovative modifications are crucial for surgeons to take the
next step of this device utility – to modify the surgical procedure based on tissue oxygenation
A lot is going on in NYC on the week of May 3-10 including:
The International Society of ECT and Neuromodulation (May 3-5)
The annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (May 3-7)
Clinical TMS Society Annual Meeting (May 3-5)
The NYC tDCS workshop at CCNY (May 6-7)
Society of Biologic Psychiatry Meeting (May 8-10).
____________________
Some highlights from the week:
Full program details of the Neuromodec tDCS workshop are here and include presentations by leaders in neuromodulation May 6-7.
The Society of Biologic Psychiatry Meeting includes a special session of tDCS for Depression with this amazing program: “Technical and Mechanistic Foundations of tDCS: Emerging applications in Major Depressive Disorder“. Location: Hilton New York Midtown – Gremercy A – 2nd Floor. Time: May 8 12:30-2:30pm.
•12:40-1:00pm – Marom Bikson, CUNY, USA – Byophysical Foundations of tDCS: Evidence from Computer Models and Animal Studies
•1:00-1:20pm – Michael A. Nitsche, Göttingen University, Germany – Translational use of tDCS in Major Depressive Disorder: Focus on Neuroplasticity
•1:20-1:40pm – Collen Loo, University of New South Wales, Australia – TDCS as a Monotherapy for Depression: Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial and Follow-up study
•1:40-2:00 pm – André R. Brunoni, University of São Paulo, Brazil – TDCS as an add-on Therapy: The Augmentative Role of tDCS for the treatment of Depression
download the PDF: Bikson_JNE_ValueCost
SS Shahid, M Bikson, H Salman, P Wen, T Ahfock – Journal of Neural Engineering, 2014
Objectives. Computational methods are increasingly used to optimize transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) dose strategies and yet complexities of existing approaches limit their clinical access. Since predictive modelling indicates the relevance of subject/ …
It’s all in your head: reinforcing the placebo response with tDCS
HM Schambra, M Bikson, TD Wager, MF DosSantos… – Brain Stimulation, 2014; Volume 7, Issue 4, Pages 623–624,
The mechanisms of action of tDCS for behavioral modification are not yet fully understood. However, 3 one common observation is that its behavioral effects are most pronounced and long-lasting when tDCS 4 is paired with endogenous, training-induced brain activity (1). In …
Full List of Abstracts from our Lab from NYC Neuromodulation 2013 in Brain Stimulation:
Berkan Guleyupoglu, Alexander David, Marom Bikson. Electrosleep revisited: A new look into an old technique. NYC Neuromodulation 2013 Abstract, Published in Brain Stimulation Vol. 7, Issue 2, Page e10
Belen Lafon, Asif Rahman, Marom Bikson, Lucas C. Parra . Direct current stimulation modulates the synaptic input required for firing. NYC Neuromodulation 2013 Abstract, Published in Brain Stimulation Vol. 7, Issue 2, Page e11
Jessica Berard, Isis E. Martínez-Hernández, Abhishek Datta, Marom Bikson, et al. Effects of montage configuration on cortical excitability NYC Neuromodulation 2013 Abstract, Published in Brain Stimulation Vol. 7, Issue 2, Page e15
Ole Seibt, Albert Mokrejs, Marom Bikson. HD-Electrode assembly design for decreased transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) current density on the skin: A FEM modeling study. NYC Neuromodulation 2013 Abstract, Published in Brain Stimulation Vol. 7, Issue 2, Page e10
Dennis Q. Truong, Berkan Guleyupoglu, Abhishek Datta, Preet Minhas, Marom Bikson et al. Inter-Individual Variation during Transcranial Direct Current Simulation and Normaliziation of Dose Using MRI-Derived Computational Models NYC Neuromodulation 2013 Abstract, Published in Brain Stimulation Vol. 7, Issue 2, Page e10
Mahtab Alam, Marom Bikson, Dennis Truong. Spatial and polarity precision of High-Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) NYC Neuromodulation 2013 Abstract, Published in Brain Stimulation Vol. 7, Issue 2, Page e11
Dennis Truong, Preet Minhas, Albert Mokrejs, Marom Bikson. Customization of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for susceptible populations including at the extremes of age, obesity, and stroke NYC Neuromodulation 2013 Abstract, Published in Brain Stimulation Vol. 7, Issue 2, Page e5-e6
Jessica D. Richardson, Paul Fillmore, Abhishek Datta, Dennis Truong, Marom Bikson et al. Sham protocols for transcranial direct current stimulation using high-definition electrodes NYC Neuromodulation 2013 Abstract, Published in Brain Stimulation Vol. 7, Issue 2, Page e8
Neuroimage. 2014; 92: 285-297
Woods AJ, Hamilton RH, Kranjec A, Minhaus P, Bikson M4, Yu J, Chatterjee A
PDF: Woods_Bikson_2014_Neuroimage_SpaceTimetDCS
Abstract: The ability to perceive causality is a central human ability constructed from elemental spatial and temporal information present in the environment. Although the nature of causality has captivated philosophers and scientists since antiquity, the neural correlates of causality remain poorly understood. In the present study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to generate hypotheses for candidate brain regions related to component processes important for perceptual causality in the human brain: elemental space perception, elemental time perception, and decision-making (Experiment 1; n=16). We then used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to test neural hypotheses generated from the fMRI experiment (Experiment 2; n=16). In both experiments, participants judged causality in billiard-ball style launching events; a blue ball approaches and contacts a red ball. Spatial and temporal contributions to causal perception were assessed by parametrically varying the spatial linearity and the temporal delays of the movement of the balls. Experiment 1 demonstrated unique patterns of activation correlated with spatial, temporal, and decision-making components of causality perception. Using tDCS, we then tested hypotheses for the specific roles of the parietal and frontal cortices found in the fMRI experiment. Parietal stimulation only decreased participants’ perception of causality based on spatial violations, while frontal stimulation made participants less likely to perceive causality based on violations of space and time. Converging results from fMRI and tDCS indicate that parietal cortices contribute to causal perception because of their specific role in processing spatial relations, while the frontal cortices contribute more generally, consistent with their role in decision-making.
Dr. Marom Bikson interviewed for IEEE Spectrum article.
Home experimenters are building rigs to send currents through their heads
By Eliza Strickland
Posted 14 Mar 2014
13th Annual International Conference on Dose Response
Apr 22 2014 to Apr 23 2014 — Location: UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA
online info here full conference brochure here
The 2014 Dose-Response, Preconditioning: Adaptive Responses in Biology and Medicine will explore the rapidly emerging area of Preconditioning, its biomedical implications, its dose response features and its underlying mechanisms. Speakers at the conference will address recent discoveries concerning how preconditioning may be used to protect against environmental stressor agents, slow down and prevent a wide range of neurological and cardiovascular diseases, and how such knowledge can be translated into medical practice, taking into consideration the challenges of human inter-individual variation. The convergence of scientists from multiple disciplines on this topic is designed to provide a greater interactive focus on the topic of low dose responses and hopefully prevent further professional/academic isolation with respect to language, concept and interpretation of low dose effects. The conference will also provide the most current advances in the nature of the dose response with respect to chemical and radiation induced stresses as well as a host of effects of pharmaceutical agents that have profound biomedical and risk assessment implications.
Dr. Marom Bikson joins an international panel of tDCS experts for the NEUROMODEC NYC tDCS Workshop.
And intensive expert-level two-day international meeting dedicated on the design and implementation of tDCS clinical trials. Update on 2014 state-of-the-art methodology with presentations and discussions on the development of professional standards for safety, validity and reproducibility of functional outcomes in tDCS in clinical practice.
More info here EVENT WILL SELL OUT