(Artist Concept)
The research team led by Massachusetts General Hospital will use
a combination of
commercial-off-the-shelf electrodes and custom technology developed
by Draper Labs to
create novel systems. The proposed design will focus on an
ultra-low-profile,
hermetically sealed interface device capable of being recharged through
inductive
coupling. (Image courtesy of Massachusetts General Hospital and Draper Labs)
(May 27, 2014) SUBNETS program includes two complementary
research pathways that emphasize neural plasticity and single-neuron recording.
Work on DARPA’s Systems-Based
Neurotechnology for Emerging Therapies (SUBNETS) program is set to begin with
teams led by UC San Francisco (UCSF), and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
The SUBNETS program seeks to reduce the severity of neuropsychological illness
in service members and veterans by developing closed-loop therapies that
incorporate recording and analysis of brain activity with near-real-time neural
stimulation. The program, which will use next-generation devices inspired by
current Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) technology, was launched in support of
President Obama’s brain initiative.
In this artist’s
concept, a miniature electronic device placed between a patient's skull
and scalp would
serve as an interface between a series of electrodes placed at varying
depths in different
regions of the brain and a clinician who could wirelessly review neurological
data recorded by
the electrodes and communicate with the device to prescribe tailored therapies.
Photos on either side show a sampling of existing devices that could serve as
inspiration
or building blocks
for SUBNETS technologies. DARPA will evaluate multiple designs from
both performer
teams over the course of the program.
(Image courtesy of
Massachusetts General Hospital and Draper Labs)
UCSF and MGH will oversee teams
of physicians, engineers, and neuroscientists who are working together to
develop advanced brain interfaces, computational models of neural activity, and
clinical therapies for treating networks of the brain. The teams will
collaborate with commercial industry and government, including researchers from
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Medtronic, to apply a broad range of
perspectives to the technological challenges involved.
SUBNETS is premised on the
understanding that brain function—and
dysfunction, in the case of neuropsychological illness—plays out across
distributed neural systems, as opposed to being strictly relegated to distinct
anatomical regions of the brain. The program also aims to take advantage of
neural plasticity, a feature of the brain by which the organ’s anatomy and
physiology can alter over time to support normal brain function. Plasticity
runs counter to previously held ideas that the adult brain is a “finished”
entity that can be statically mapped. Because of plasticity, researchers are
optimistic that the brain can be trained or treated to restore normal
functionality following injury or the onset of neuropsychological illness.
DARPA’s SUBNETS
program seeks new neurotechnology for analyzing neuronal
activity across
sub-networks of the brain to enable next-generation therapies
tailored to
individual patients. (DARPA image)
“The brain is very different from
all other organs because of its networking and adaptability,” said Justin
Sanchez, the DARPA program manager for SUBNETS. “Real-time, closed-loop neural
interfaces allow us to move beyond the traditional static view of the brain and
into a realm of precision therapy. This lack of understanding of how mental
illness specifically manifests in the brain has limited the effectiveness of
existing treatment options, but through SUBNETS we hope to change that. DARPA
is looking for ways to characterize which regions come into play for different
conditions—measured from brain networks down to the single neuron level—and
develop therapeutic devices that can record activity, deliver targeted
stimulation, and most importantly, automatically adjust therapy as the brain
itself changes. The research teams we selected for SUBNETS will pursue bold
approaches to reach those goals and we’re excited to get started because this
research could prove to be transformative for people with mental illness.”