An Electromagnetic Study of the Impact of Brain Anatomy on Deep Brain Stimulation

Abstract

An electromagnetic simulation was performed to assess the volume of tissue activated on deep brain stimulation for two patients randomly selected. The finite element method is used to calculate the electric field distribution that predicts the volume of tissue activated. High-resolution magnetic resonance images are utilized to create patient-specific anatomical models of the subthalamic nucleus and the internal pallidum. The results confirmed the influence of brain anatomy leading to different shape and volume of tissue activated despite similar technical features. Thus, a patient-specific model and an adequate choice of stimulation parameters are crucial on deep brain stimulation outcomes.