Integration of Deep Brain Stimulation Modeling Tools

Abstract: Deep brain stimulation is a treatment in which neural targets are stimulated by electrical pulses delivered through implanted leads to alleviate symptoms in certain neurological- and psychiatric disorders. To achieve a beneficial clinical outcome, adjusting the stimulation parameters is a crucial step, which, at present, is a tedious and difficult trial-and-error procedure. This thesis presents the software OptiStim: a computational tool intended to enable computer-aided parameter selection for deep brain stimulation. OptiStim simulates the induced electric field using a detailed finite-element model. Using the pre- and postoperative neuroimages, the model is customized to the patient-specific brain anatomy. The simulated electric field is scaled according to a constrained optimization scheme to maximally stimulate target areas while structures associated with adverse side-effects are avoided. The volume of tissue activated is computed using an activation threshold on the electric field strength. Finally, the in-silico optimal contact-configuration and stimulation amplitude are provided. The software is developed with a user-friendly graphical user interface, and also provides a visualization of the volume of tissue activated.