A computerized brain implant effectively relieves short-term and chronic pain in rodents, a new study finds.
The experiments, conducted by investigators at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, offer what the researchers call a “blueprint” for the development of brain implants to treat pain syndromes and other brain-based disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and panic attacks.
The study showed that device-implanted rats withdrew their paws 40% more slowly from sudden pain compared with times when their device was turned off. According to the study authors, this suggests that the device reduced the intensity of the pain the rodents experienced. In addition, animals in sudden or continuous pain spent about two-thirds more time in a chamber where the computer-controlled device was turned on than in a chamber where it was not.
Researchers say the investigation is the first to use a computerized brain implant to detect and relieve bursts of pain in real time. The device is also the first of its kind to target chronic pain, which often occurs without being prompted by a known trigger, the study authors say.
