A new biomarker for closed-loop deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus for patients with Parkinson´s disease

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become the standard treatment for advanced stages of Parkinson´s disease and other motor disorders. Although the surgical procedure has gained in accuracy over the years thanks to imaging and microelectrode recordings, the underlying principles of DBS are still debated today. The lack of a clear measurable biomarker for the efficacy of the therapy has rendered efforts to design feedback-enabled stimulators difficult. Our most recent intra-operative recordings have unveiled a new biomarker based on stimulation induced evoked responses that could lead to a new approach to closing the loop and designing an adaptive deep brain stimulator.